House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. over the weekend claimed that local bills passed during the 15th Congress would spur countryside development with education dominating the list of legislations passed.

“Focusing on human resource development, among others, is being true to our mandate as representatives of the people,” Belmonte said.

Of the 150 local measures signed into law by President Benigno Aquino 3rd within the three-year period, of from July 2010 to December 2012, 39 mandates the establishment of new national high schools all over the country, two elementary schools, three integrated schools and a national technical-vocational high school.

About 64 separate local statutes, meanwhile, facilitated the separation of schools from mother institutions to usher long-term economy, efficiency in administrative management and wider coverage.

The second regular session, according to records of the Committee on Rules chaired by Rep. Neptali Gonzales 2nd, saw the birth of five new component cities—Bacoor City and Imus City, Cavite; Cabuyao, Laguna province; Mabalacat, Pampanga province; and Ilagan, Isabela province.

During the third regular session, Cotabato province was reapportioned into three legislative districts, like that of Bukidnon province, which was reapportioned into four legislative districts.

The new high schools have either risen or are about to in municipalities in the provinces of Iloilo, Sorsogon, Bulacan, Aurora Davao Oriental, Mountain Province, Zamboanga del Sur, Batangas, Leyte, Zamboanga del Norte, Marikina City, Nueva Vizcaya, Davao Oriental, Camiguin, Camarines Sur and Southern Leyte.

Local laws were also enacted converting the Land Transportation Office (LTO) extension offices—in The Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del Norte; in Dasmariñas City, Cavite; in Tubod Lanao del Norte; and in Quirino, Luna, Apayao province—into regular district offices of the LTO.

Still awaiting the President’s signature are numerous other local and national measures that rhyme into the national government’s development programs.