“As a true daughter of Bacolod, in my veins run the aspiration of our generation as inspired by the older generation to preserve, protect and pursue the interests of the future generations of Bacolodnons.”

Gender: Female
Current Address: Suite 201 Terra Bldg. Galo-Gatuslao Sts. Bacolod City
Contact Number: (034) 7096135
Political Party and Address: INDEPENDENT

Educational Background:
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University of St. la Salle - Bacolod
Bachelor of Laws (1993 to 1997)
(Pioneer Batch)

University of Negros Occ. – Recoletos (UNO-R)
Bachelor of Arts, Major in Political Science
(1989 to 1993)

Elementary, St. Rose of Lima School
(1980 to 1985) With Honors

Secondary, St. Rose of Lima School
(1985 to 1989) With Honors

• President, Supreme Student Council (University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos) SY 91-92
•Opinion Editor, The Tolentine Star of UNO-R
SY 92-93
• 1993 Best Debater during the Inter-Collegiate Debate Series conducted by the Negros Occidental Private Schools Sports Cultural and Education Association (NOPSSCEA)
• 1992 NOPSSCEA First Runner-Up in Oration representing (UNO-R)
• 1991 NOPSSCEA Second Runner-Up in Extemporaneous Speech representing UNO-R
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Work Experience:
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AS A MEMBER OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION:
• Pioneer graduate University of Saint La Salle ( USLS)- Bacolod College of Law in 1997
• Senior Partner, Batapa-Sigue Abunda Salarda-Yee Trinio and Sigue Law Offices
• Professor, College of Law , USLS-Bacolod
• Former Professor, College of Business & Accountancy, USLS
• Founding President, USLS College of Law Alumni Association (UCLAA), Inc.
• Former In-House Counsel, Victorias Milling
Company, Inc. (from 1999 to 2001)

AS AN ADVOCATE FOR WOMEN & CHILDREN’S RIGHTS:
• Chair, Bacolod City Gender and Development (GAD) Council
• Acting Chair, Bacolod City Child Labor Education and Advocacy Tasf Force
• President, Girl Scouts of the Philippines – Bacolod Chapter
• Head, Women and Children’s Legal Desk, Law Center, USLS College of Law
• Member, Young Women Christians Association (YWCA)
• Chair, Human Rights Committee, Soroptimist International - Bacolod
• Volunteer Counsel for Bacolod Women’s Center, DAWN Foundation, Inc., Holy Family Home, Kapisanan Nang Mga Brodkasters Nang Pilipinas (KBP)-Negros Occidental Chapter and Negros Press Club
• Professional Resource Speaker, RA 7877, RA 9262, RA 7610, RA 8353, RA 8354, RA 9344 and other laws on women and children

AS A MEMBER OF THE MEDIA:
• Director, Negros Press Club 2008-2010
• Host, Pulso sa Aksyon Radyo every Sunday 11am to 12 nn over DYEZ Aksyon Radyo
• Columnist, The Legal Perspective, Negros Weekly
• Host, The SHE Factor aired through Sunshine Channel 14
• Host, The IBP Hour aired through Sunshine Channel 14
• Columnist, IBP Newsletter
• Former Reporter/News Writer, ABS-CBN TV 4 and GMA TV 10

AS ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATE:
• Convenor, Earth Day 2007, 2008 and 2009 – Bacolod and Negros Occidental
• Member, Global Legal Action Against Climate Change (GLACC) – Negros Occidental
• Member, Visayas Network on Climate Change (VNCCC)
• Advocate, Philippine Climate-Friendly Cities Project (electric jeeps) – GRIPP
• Proponent, Palit-Ilaw sa Palengke (Switch from Incandescent bulbs to CFL’s) with DOE-PELMATP

AS A TOASTMASTER:
• Division Governor, Division D (Western Visayas)
District 75 Philippine Toastmasters CY 2002-03
• National Champion in Evaluation Speech during the Philippine Toastmasters District Convention (April 2002 Makati City)
• Past Area Governor, Area 33 Division D-District 75 Philippine Toastmasters CY 2001-2002
• Past President, Riverside Toastmasters Club

AS A PUBLIC SERVANT:
• Member, Sangguniang Panlungsod of Bacolod City
• Chair, Sanggunian Committees on Women & Gender, Communications & Energy
• Chair, Bacolod City Information Technology (IT) Focus Team
• Chair, Bacolod – Negros Occidental Federation for Information and Communications Technology (BNEFIT), Inc.
• Convenor, Transparency International Philippines - Bacolod

AS A NATIONAL OFFICIAL:
• Incoming Chair, National ICT Conference of the Philippines (NICP) organized by the Commission of Information and Communications technology (CICT)
• Head, Legal Affairs-Visayas, National Movement of Young Legislators of the Philippines (NMYL)
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Special Skills:
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SUMMARY OF NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Atty. Jocelle Batapa-Sigue is a practicing lawyer since 1998 and has served as professor in the College of Law of the University of Saint La Salle in Bacolod City since 1999. At the age of 35, she has already held various positions in various international and civic organizations. She was the Division Governor of Toastmasters International District 75 (Philippine Toastmasters for Division D (Western Visayas), Vice President for Girls Scouts of the Philippines – Bacolod Chapter, Chair of the Human Rights Committee of Soroptimist International – Bacolod and Member of the Board of Management of the Philippine Mental Health Association – Negros Occidental Chapter. Because of her skills in public speaking and media relations, she continues to be active in the tri-media circle as TV Host of the She Factor and the IBP Hour aired over Sunshine Channel 14, as columnist in the Negros Weekly and XL Magazine and as anchorperson of Pulso sa Aksyon Radyo.

Her active involvement in environmental conservation issues is shown as convenor of Earth Day 2007 and 2008 celebration and as author of the Earth Day Ordinance of Bacolod City. Under her watch, the DOE campaign to switch from incandescent bulbs to CFL’s, the Climate Change and Clean Development Mechanisms under Kyoto Protocol of Klima Observatory and IGES as well as the Philippine Climate-Friendly Cities Project (Electric Jeeps) were actively launched in Bacolod and Negros Occidental.

As a public servant, she run as independent candidate twice – in 2004 and 2007 and was elected as Member of Sangguniang Panlungsod of Bacolod City for two consecutive terms. She started the campaign for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) as chair of the Committee on Communications and Energy of the Sanggunian Panlungsod of Bacolod. She proposed the creation of and chaired the Bacolod IT Focus Team, which was cited as 2007 “Go Negosyo” Awardee for Best Business Support. She proposed a pioneering project for the city - the Bacolod Information Technology (IT) Investment Program, which was cited as 2006 Best Public Sector Practice for LGU Category in Western Visayas by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and the Regional Development Council (RDC) Region VI. She is currently the chair of the Bacolod-Negros Occidental Federation For Information and Communications Technology (BNEFIT), Inc. which help make Bacolod one of the “next wave cities” th
e outsourcing and offshoring industry in the Philippines today.

As the champion or the lead advocate in bringing about more jobs and investments to the city, and indirectly to the country through the information and communications technology (ICT) industry, she has exemplified the role of a local government as a catalyst for socio-economic development. Through her initiative, Bacolod embarked on a comprehensive set of programs geared towards the direction of the Philippine Cyberservices Corridor in order to gain from the rapidly growing information and ICT industry. Believing that the primary role of the private sector is to provide investments, capital and other resources, the program empowered the academe, training institutions, real estate and business sector, telecommunication firms, national line agencies, and the media by ensuring their active participation in all levels of planning. Adopting the multi-stakeholder approach, the program undertook a serious study of the factors that make a location competitive based on industry stand
ards. As an enabler, the local government provided supportive, transparent and pro-competitive policies and framework to strongly encourage market-led initiatives.

As chair of the Bacolod City Gender and Development Council since 2004 up to present, she has implemented numerous projects to uplift the situation of women in the community.

Her advocacies are strongly anchored on sectoral support and private partnerships. Her core values include the promotion of transparency and accountability in governance. Her concept for transformational change to come about requires that leaders must of acquire power, i.e. through popular elections, though honest, fair and clean means in order to bring about good governance.

Despite being the youngest elected councilor since 2004, Atty. Jocelle Batapa-Sigue has displayed competence, integrity, innovativeness and leadership as a new breed of “change agent”.
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Trainings:
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1. AIM NMYL YOUNG LEGISLATORS COURSE 2006
2. UP COURSE FOR YOUNG LOCAL LEGISLATORS (CYLL)
3. PHILIPPINE YOUNG LEADERS IN GOVERNANCE (PYLG) TRAINING
4. AIM KYOTO PROTOCOL AND CARBON TRADING TRAINING
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Achievements:
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• Proponent & Chair of the Bacolod Information Technology (IT) Focus Team adjudged as Go Negosyo - Best Government Support for Business in 2007
• Soroptimist International - Bacolod 2007 “Making A Difference in Women” Awardee
• One of the 20 finalists in the Search for the 2007 Ten Outstanding Councilors of the Philippines (TOCP)
• Proponent of the Alternative Skills Program for Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) - a project given the Award of Excellence for implementation for Region VI under the Action Programme to Protect Working Children and Combat and Eliminate Child Labour of International Labor Organization - International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labor (ILO-IPEC)
• Proponent of the Bacolod IT Investment Program adjudged as the Best Public Sector Practice in Region VI – LGU Category in 2006
• Outstanding Alumni in Public Service Awardee, College of Arts & Sciences, UNO-R
• Instrumental in having Bacolod included as one of the Next Wave Cities in the Outsourcing and Off-shoring Industry of the Philippines
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Plat Form of Governement:
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“My calling is to start a new beginning for Bacolod. A beginning that will prove to the world that our city can afford to chose its leaders conscientiously, that our leaders can present themselves to the people without spending hundreds of millions to acquire a seat of power, that our leaders can be of public service without buying votes, that our people can actually demand for a transparent and accountable, responsive and humane governance from its chosen leaders.”

Atty. Jocelle Batapa-Sigue has a 20-POINT AMBITION (AGENDA) for Bacolod which will be publicly released in due time.

The 20 Point Agenda is anchored on Her Vision:
A Bacolod that is characterized by a self-sufficient local economy, dynamic governance and leadership, transparent, accountable and responsive governance, and up-to-date strategies and approaches that contribute to the evolution and maintenance of one of the most ideal cities of the 21st century world.

A NEW BEGINNING FOR A NEW BACOLOD!
Be a part of Change! Join BFF Today.
Email batapa4bacolod@yahoo.com to join Batapa's Friends Forever (BFF).
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APPROVED ORDINANCES AUTHORED:
1. Creation of Inter-Agency Council Against trafficking in Persons
2. Annual Gawad Kooperatiba Awards
3. Procedures for SP Endorsement to PEZA of ICT Parks , Buildings, Tourism Development Zones and Economic Zones
4. Celebration of April 22 as Earth Day in Bacolod City
5. Protection of Household and Domestic Workers
6. The Gender and Development Code
7. Institutionalizing Informal Sector Workers Programs
8. Observance of June 13 to 19 as Social Work Week
9. Creation of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Council
10. Effective implementation of the Law against Worst Forms of Child Labor
11. Observance of December 1 to 7 as non-Government Organizations-People’s Organizations Week
12. Prevention of sexually-transmitted infections (STI), Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in Bacolod City and creation of Bacolod Local STI/HIV/AIDS Council
13. Regulation of Anti- Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s)

PENDING ORDINANCES AUTHORED:
1. Procedures for the Development of Medical Tourism Parks and Retirement Villages
2. Creation of the Bacolod Technology and Livelihood Development Center (TLDC)
3. Implementation of RA No. 9178 on Barangay Micro Business Enterprises (BMBES)
4. Community Work Service Ordinance
5. Search for Ten Outstanding Barangays Officials
6. Anti-Cable TV and Internet Signal Theft
7. Watershed Development and Water Conservation Programs
8. Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Measures
9. Comprehensive Preventive Health Care and Wellness Programs

Links:
www.bnefit.org
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