QC vice mayor re-elected as House foundation president

MANILA, Philippines - Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte was re-elected as president and chairperson of the Congressional Spouses Foundation, Inc. (CSFI) for the 16th Congress.

“We had good camaraderie and cooperation among members during the 15th Congress which, I’m sure, will bear more fruit in the 16th Congress, and we owe this to a large extent to the fact that our lawmaker-spouses are in very good terms with one another,” Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said in a statement.

The younger Belmonte, who was president and chairperson during the 15th Congress of the foundation, was re-elected with a unanimous vote, with Paula Camille Bondoc as the executive director.

The 16th Congress CSFI regional board of trustees are as follows: for Region 1, Camille Fariñas; Region 2, Sol Albano;  Region 3, Violy Mendoza;  Region 4A, Joy Enverga; Region 4B, Linda Umali; Region 5, Delle Escudero; Region 6, Suzette del Rosario; Region 7, June Iway; Region 8, Grace Evardone; Region 9, Hanna Nuno; Region 10, Nenen Rodriguez; Region 12, Rose Acharon; CARAGA, Marie Therese Fortun; Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Mila Balindong; Cordillera Administrative Region, Cara Cosalan; National Capital Region, Precious Hipolito and Mons Romulo.

“We will continue CSFI’s projects like The Haven which Tita Gina (De Venecia) started, the Christmas gift-giving, projects with the House departments and the calamity assistance,” Belmonte said shortly after her election.

She also cited her projects in the 15th Congress, which were the Lakbay Aral and the scholarship program for women.

Belmonte said she would like to push for a Legislative Museum in Congress.  She said the officers and members would have to meet again later this month.

“I think in a sense, I would like it to be more democratic, I would like to get suggestions from all. I would like also to make it more decentralized,” Belmonte said.

She said the CSFI will focus on the marginalized sectors such as persons with disabilities, women and indigenous peoples.