NOT too long ago – particularly between 2011 and 2018 – a young law student from the sleepy town of Initao was doing legislative research and routinary clerical tasks at the Misamis Oriental Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
Today more than six years later, Louie Jay Jarales is back – now a full-fledged lawyer, municipal councilor in his hometown and – the newest member of the Misamis Oriental Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
This time, he is not just an employee anymore. He is already a provincial board member himself representing the Philippine Councilors League (PCL).
This, after the PCL on August 20 unanimously elected the two-termer councilor Jarales unopposed as the new PCL president in the province.
Under the Philippines’ Local Government Code, provincial boards are mandated to give one seat to the PCL provincial chairman to represent the interests of the councilors – participating in discussions, deliberations and decision-making processes that affect the entire province, in this case Misamis Oriental.
Jarales will start reporting for duty on Tuesday, August 26 during the weekly session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
He will be the voice of the 262 councilors in the 23 municipalities and two cities of the province.
In his first interview after being elected and taking oath, Jarales said he will push for a resolution asking the Government Service and Insurance System (GSIS) to consider councilors serving at least two terms to qualify for insurance.
Under the current scheme, only councilors who have served three successive terms are qualified to receive GSIS benefits.
Jarales is expected to align with the majority bloc of the Misamis Oriental Sangguniang Panlalawigan, being a member of the PAGLAUM-PaDayon coalition.
