HISTORY

BANAT was organized on 25 October 1997 by then incumbent officers of the Liga Ng Mga Barangay Sa Pilipinas. BANAT’s participation on the May 10, 2004 was officially approved by the COMELEC in its Resolution issued on February 11, 2004.

BANAT made history when it successfully hurdled two daunting obstacles in order to be proclaimed as elected in the May 2007 election. It moves the Commission on Elections to reconsider its earlier ruling disqualifying it (BANAT) for not being composed solely of marginalized sectors, arguing that the Constitution and the Party-List Act (R.A. 7941) do not require such criterion.

More impressive and trail blazing is its victorious advocacy in BANAT vs. COMELEC(G.R. No. 179271) unanimously upheld by the Supreme Court that the two percent threshold votes of the total nationwide votes cast for the party-list election as required by R.A. 7941 as a requisite for entitlement to a seat in Congress is unconstitutional because it makes it impossible to fill up the 20% of the total membership of the House of Representatives, including those of the paty-list, alloted to the party-list sectors.

MEMBERSHIP

BANAT is composed of incumbent and past barangay officials and of persons who have rendered substantial services for the upliftment of the barangay constituencies. A good number of them were, during their school days, connected with the Boy Scouts of the Philippines and, therefore, are deeply imbued with the three cardinal principles of leadership, friendship and service.

PLATFORMS

BANAT, in accordance with its Constitution and By-Laws, is committed to work for the general welfare and advancement of the barangay constituencies. Specifically, the following needs (with the acronym “HELP US”) of the barangay constituencies shall be afforded special attention:

HEALTH and dental care shall be made more accessible and affordable by the operation of mobile clinics and by making available cheap medicines. The campaign against drug addiction shall be intensified.

EDUCATION programs shall be provided in order to minimize school dropouts. CDs (projectors), computers and internet facilities shall be provided all public high schools. Reading centers shall be operated.

LEADERSHIP training shall be provided barangay & SK officers to enhance their capability to serve. A Barangay Academy shall be established for the purpose.

POVERTY alleviation programs, like cottage industries and production of alternative crops, shall be enhanced to improve the income of barangay constituencies. Equitable agrarian programs beneficial to both land reform grantees and the landowners shall be pursued to make agricultural land more productive.

UNITY and the bayanihan spirit shall be strengthened in the barangay in order to reduce quarrels among the residents.

SCOUTING movement shall be supported to inculcate in the youth the desirable virtues of being: trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient,cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.

OUR REPRESENTATIVE IN THE 14TH CONGRESS

Rep. Salvador “Buddy” Britanico personifies the adage: “The Power of Education And The Triumph Of Persistence”.

He graduated Salutatorian of Oton (Iloilo) High School, with High Honors in Pre-Law (Associate in Arts) and Bachelor of Laws. Third Honor, from the Far Eastern University. He was a recipient of the FEU President’s Academic Excellence Award. Rep. Brintanico took the bar examinations of 1962 and placed 28^th , while confined for two weeks in the FEU Hospital.

Between 1963 and 1978, he was professor of law, philosophy, argumentation and debate and political science at the University of Iloilo, University of San Agustin (Iloilo), San Sebastian College and Lyceum of the Philippines. His practice of law since 1962 until early 2009 was interrupted only when he was elected to public offices. Until his proclamation in 28 April 2009, he was senior partner of Britanico Britanico Lisaca & Associates Law Office. HE was President of the Philippine Trial Lawyers Association and of the APO Lawyers League.

Rep. Britanico was elected Municipal Councilor of Oton, Iloilo for two terms from 1963 to 1970 and a Delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention, where he authored the provisions mandating the standardization of salaries of government officers and employees and terminating the rights of American citizens to exploit the natural resources of the country, after paying them just compensation for their vested rights. He became an Assemblyman representing Western Visayas during the Interim Batasan Pambansa (1978-1984) and the Province of Iloilo during the Regular Batasan Pambansa (1984-1986). As a member of Parliament, he authored the reduction of the qualifying age of provincial elected officials to 21 years old. He also sponsored the bill abolishing the mandatory teaching of 24 units of Spanish and instead making it optional and only mandatory to selected courses in college. He. Likewise, co-authored/co-sponsored the establishment of scores of state colleges and universities in all regions in the country. He was appointed concurrently as Minister of State for Transportation and Communications from 1982 to 1984 and as Deputy Minister of Education, Culture and Sports from 1984 to 1986.

His entry into the 14^th Congress on 28 April 2009, after 23 long years of absence from the legislature, came about after a Supreme Court’s unanimous Decision last April 21, 2009 in the case of BANAT vs. Comelec (G. R. No. 179271) which granted BANAT’s petition to fully fill up the 20% Party-List seats  in the House of Representatives mandated by the Constitution and to declare as unconstitutional the 2% threshold votes of the total nationwide party-list votes by the Party-List Act (R.A 7941). He served as legal Counsel for BANAT in the landmark constitutional law case.

As BANAT Representative, he authored House Bill No. 6763 (An Act Establishing The Barangay Administration and Development Academy. Defining Its Powers and Functions, Appropriating Funds Therefor and For Other Purposes) and HB No. 6849 (An Act Constituting the Municipal Committee on Education in Every Municipality in the Country, Appropriating Funds Therefor And For Other Purposes). Pending are the bill Governing The Conferment Of Official Awards, Creting The Philippine Commission On National Awards, Defining Its Functions And For Other Purposes; and the bill Renaming General Luna Street in Iloilo City into Mayor Rodolfo T. Ganzon Avenue and For Other Purposes.

In the Batasan Pambansa, Rep. Britanico was consistently voted One of the Ten Most Outstanding Assemblymen by various organizations. He was recipient of many other awards and citations, among which are: Man in the News (from the Manila Bulletin Today); Most Outstandingin the Legislative Department (from FEU Law Alumni Association); Certificates of Appreciation (from scores of professional, educational and civic organizations); Best Professor (from the University of Iloilo Student Council and the University of San Agustin Parliamentarians’ Club); Scholarship and Gold Medals in debates and mock trials (from FEU); and, Best Parliamentarian (from the Conference Delegates Association of the Philippines).

Rep. Britanico was born on September 2, 1937 at Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo, the 7^th of 8 children of Francisco Hortillo Britanico of Oton and Lapaz, Iloilo City and of Ermita Monteclaro Buenaflor Bas of Miag-ao and Dumagas, Iloilo. He is married to Ma. Lita Linda Rosero Celestial of Cavite, Masbate and Iloilo, a doctor of medicine with specialization I internal medicine and diabetes and former Dean of the College of Medicine of the Manila Central University. Their three sons: Salvador, Jr. (Bud), Francesco (Franco) and Delfin (Del), all graduated with management courses from the Ateneo de Manila University. Bud and Del are now corporate officers; while Franco is a practicing lawyer.

Rep. Britanico’s favorite quoation is:

“To The Stars Through Education And Persistence!”

To know more about our representative, you may also visit our House of Representatives webpage.