The 21st City Council welcomed representatives of the Rotary Club of Cagayan de Oro and Rotary City Youth Officials during its 53rd regular session, providing young leaders with firsthand exposure to local legislation and the responsibilities of elected officials as part of a week-long legislative immersion.
Members of the City Council, led by Vice Mayor Bebot Rodriguez, welcomed the young Rotary leaders, who were assigned counterpart roles with council members to gain firsthand experience of the legislative process and local governance.
Engr. Bryan Bautista of the Rotary Club of Cagayan de Oro introduced the participants, who then proceeded to their assigned council members to assume their counterpart roles as legislators.
Kaylee Summer Cruz of Corpus Christi School took on the role of vice mayor, sitting beside Vice Mayor Bebot and assisting in presiding over the meeting.
The activity provided City Council members with an opportunity to guide young leaders and help them gain a deeper understanding of legislative work and public service.
“This is part of the solemn duty of the city council to train future leaders in the ropes of governance,” Councilor Edgar Cabanlas said in a post on his official Facebook page.
Meanwhile, Rotary leader and Councilor Gilda Go expressed pride in opening the doors of the City Council to young leaders, encouraging everyone to continue nurturing a generation that will lead with heart and purpose.
The Rotary Club of Cagayan de Oro expressed its appreciation to the City Council and Vice Mayor Bebot for welcoming the young Rotarians into the session and allowing them to experience local governance and public service firsthand. (PGU/SP)
Forty young Rotary leaders took their oath before Vice Mayor Bebot Rodriguez on Monday, beginning a week-long immersion in local governance as counterparts to Cagayan de Oro City officials.
The 40 youth leaders, representing various high schools in Cagayan de Oro City, will serve as counterparts of the Mayor and department heads in the executive branch, as well as the Vice Mayor and members of the 21st City Council, as part of their immersion in local governance.
Organized by the Rotary Club in partnership with the City Government and the Department of Education, the program aims to provide young leaders with firsthand exposure to the work of local government and encourage them to take an active role in their communities.
Throughout the week, the youth leaders will participate in observation, training, workshops, and other activities designed to familiarize them with local governance processes and the day-to-day operations of various city government offices.
In the legislative branch, the 21 youth leaders assumed the roles of their assigned city councilors and the City Secretary, giving them firsthand experience of the responsibilities and functions of elected officials and legislative support personnel in the City Council.
The week-long immersion will culminate on Friday with a special session of the Rotary Youth Council, where the participants will put into practice the knowledge and experience, they gained throughout the program. (JDO/SP)
The 21st City Council has approved the Comprehensive Coastal and Fishery Resources Management Ordinance, a measure seeking to strengthen the management, conservation, and protection of the city's coastal and fishery resources.
Ordinance No. 15489-2026 was authored by Councilor Juancho Pascual, chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries, and Aquatic Resources, who described its approval as a milestone for the city's fisherfolk and coastal communities.
The ordinance establishes a local framework for managing coastal and fishery resources, including rules and sanctions intended to strengthen enforcement within the city's municipal waters.
In a statement, Pascual said the measure addresses the legislative need that has been identified in Cagayan de Oro's development plans for years.
He emphasized that the ordinance seeks to protect marine resources while supporting the livelihoods of fisherfolk and coastal communities that depend on the sea for food and income.
“Protecting our fisheries means helping ensure that our fisherfolk can continue to earn a living today without exhausting the resources that their children and future generations will depend upon tomorrow,” Pascual said.
Pascual acknowledged the contributions of the City Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (CFARMC), City Agriculture Office, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), City Legal Office, the Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries, and Aquatic Resources, his fellow council members, fisherfolk, and other stakeholders in the development and passage of the measure.
Addressing the city's fisherfolk, he said, “Kini nga ordinansa para kaninyo ug para sa kaugmaon sa atong kadagatan.”
Pascual stressed that the ordinance's approval marks the beginning of continued efforts to ensure its proper implementation and extend its benefits to coastal communities.
“As chair of the committee on agriculture, fisheries, and aquatic resources, I will continue working with our fisherfolk, the city government, and our partner agencies to make sure that the ordinance is properly implemented and that its benefits reach our coastal communities,” he said.
He also called for continued efforts to protect marine resources, support fisherfolk, and preserve the sea for future generations. (PGU/SP)
