The headlines say that the new mayor of Bacolod Monico Puentevella has asked for cooperation of the members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod during his speech at the inaugural session of the SP last week.
He also urged them “to join” his administration which I think is not for them to jump in to his occult political party but to work or unite in efforts for the good of the city. However, when one ask others for cooperation he should not threaten them. Let’s quote some of his words and reports in the press.
Does Puentevella think that he can bully Councilors Alex Paglumotan, Cesar Distrito, Archie Baribar and Bobby Rojas? Does he think that Councilors Jocelle Batapa, Em Ang, Carl Lopez and Jun Gamboa will jump at the lash of his whip? I am not certain with Councilors El Cid Familiaran and Sonya Verdeflor because they know how to adapt to the situation. Councilor Mona Jardin is yet to win in the October barangay elections and the election by the barangay chairmen to return to the SP. Keith Ramos is also graduating. Indeed these are portents, ominous signs that Bacolod will have three interesting years. The reaction of Councilor Cesar Distrito is just as ominous. Puentevella used the occasion to project or send a message of how he will govern this city. He had all the time and the opportunity to scold the councilors some other days and some other places but not at their own session hall and in their inaugural session. He is not President Aquino who could scold government functionaries in their own offices and their own anniversary because they are under his office and he has the authority to dismiss them for simple lack of confidence. The SP is a co-equal branch of government and the SP is not under the mayor. They were elected by the people and accountable only to them, not to the mayor. He wanted courtesy and respect but he was unable to extend the same. His actuation, his treatment of the councilors is a forewarning not just for the councilors but for all who would dare cross him and turn his beautiful dream into a nightmare. There is another portent of interesting days for Bacolod. There are reports that he wants to change the color of the official seal of the city from green to blue to suit his personal color choice. The roof of the bandstand and the waiting sheds at the plaza had been painted blue, like that of the nearby La Consolacion College. He can paint the entire city blue or whatever and have his traffic enforcers sport blue shirts, but certainly it is different to tinker with the color of the official seal. Not that the seal cannot be changed as circumstances demand but what urgent need or overwhelming justification is there to change it? Will the SP go with him in this? I recall the case of Shi Huang Ti who wanted that the history of China should begin with him. He ordered the burning of all books and histories of China to remove all traces of the past. Is the new city government likewise obsessed? True the magnitude of his action is not as great as that of the Chinese emperor but the portents are in his mind set. I hope he eschew such thoughts if he wants to be remembered differently. Of course we find this mind set quite often and the reason so many historic structures are lost forever. Modesto P. Sa-onoy The Visayan Daily Star
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The Department of Interior and Local Government and Department of Labor and Employment through the facilitation of the City of Bacolod will conduct a roll-out registration among house helpers of the Kasambahay Law together with their employers at the Bacolod City Government Center Lobby Sunday, a press release from the city said.
Republic Act 10361 or Domestic Workers Act or Kasambahay Law was signed into law by President Benigno Aquino on January 18. In an orientation held yesterday among barangay officials in Bacolod. DILG Bacolod Program Coordinator Steve Yap, said that barangays are mandated to put up a Kasambahay Registration Desk, pursuant to R.A. 10361 or the Kasambahay Law’s Implementing Rules and Regulations. Yap was quoted as saying that the barangay has a key role for the implementation of such law to protect the welfare of house helpers as well as the employers. He also discussed the guidelines and steps of registration, the role of the barangay and the Kasambahay Desk Officer, kasambahay contract, among others. The employer must submit two copies of Kasambahay Registration Form (KR Form 1) with the attached contract to the Kasambahay Desk Officer. At the barangay level, the Kasambahay Desk Officer will be receiving two copies of KR Form 1 and the contract. He/she will review and assess the data, stamp the date of receipt, assign registration control number and provide the employer with a duplicate copy which will serve as proof of registration, the press release said. The Kasambahay Desk Officer shall also keep a copy of the KR Form 1 and encode the data in the Kasambahay Masterlist or KR Form 2, it added. Yap said that the employer must immediately notify the Kasambahay Desk Officer in case of termination of contract for updating purposes. Executive Assistant II Madeline Diaz of the City Mayor’s Office said they will invite all stakeholders and partner agencies (PhilHealth, SSS, Pag-Ibig) to participate in the event. We will cluster the nearby barangays so that it will be easy for house helpers to recognize which barangay they are from, Diaz was quoted as saying. Bacolod is the pioneer Local Government Unit in Region IV to hold the activity, the press release said. Also present during the orientation were Ray Victor Bernaje of PhilHealth, Brenda Cruz and Rochelle Bustamante, Accounts Management Section, SSS Bacolod, Ronald Amihan, PESO representative, Celso Amar, Chief, Marketing and Enforcement Division of Pag-Ibig Fund Bacolod and Councilor El Cid Familiaran. The Visayan Daily Star The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Bacolod City unanimously approved an appropriation ordinance amounting to P50 million requested by Mayor Monico Puentevella, during the special session yesterday.
It, however, included a colatilla that an appropriation for the remaining unpaid terminal leave benefits of former casual employees will be included in the next request for supplemental budget. The P50 million, that will be taken from the 2012 surplus of the city under the General Fund, is broken down into P12.4 million for “donations;” P25.4 million for General Services (City Mayor's Office); P9.2 million, salaries and wages of casuals (CMO); P2 million, tourism development project; and P1 million, other professional services. The P12.4 million item for “donations” includes financial assistance to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital amounting to P5 million, aid to barangays/schools (Charter Day celebration and MassKara Festival) – P2 million, and other donations under the Office of the Mayor – P5.4 million. Bacolod Vice Mayor Greg Gasataya yesterday said that, although there were issues and points that had to be clarified by City Treasurer Annabelle Badajos concerning the request of the Mayor, in the spirit of cooperation, and because they saw the urgency, the SP decided to call for a recess to discuss how things can be resolved legally. Gasataya said the SP also recommended that further attachments should be submitted by the Mayor as suggested by the City Treasurer, who cited that, as what had been done previously, the salaries of casual employees were being broken down into how much will go to Personnel Economic Relief/Additional Compensation allowance, and contribution to PhilHealth. He noted, though, that the request of Puentevella is silent concerning the period covered by the P9.2 million budget for salaries and wages of plantilla and job order casuals, since this was lumped under the City Mayor's Office. Gasataya said it is also not clear how many plantilla and job order casuals will be hired under the P9.2 million budget that was requested by the Mayor. They are giving Puentevella the discretion as chief executive on how the budget will be used, he said. In behalf of Puentevella, City Administrator Rolando Villamor thanked the SP for the approval of their request. He said the request includes a budget for job order and plantilla casuals that will be hired by the new administration. Villamor said the P50 million does not yet include the terminal pay of former casual employees, which is estimated to reach about P15 million. He said the SP should help Puentevella look for additional budget so he can grant their request to include the terminal pay benefits. Present at the session were councilors Roberto Rojas, Alex Paglumotan, Caesar Distrito, Mona Dia Jardin, Archie Baribar, El Cid Familiaran, Ana Marie Palermo, Sonya Verdeflor, Claude Puentevella and Wilson Gamboa Jr. Not present were councilors Carlos Jose Lopez, Keith Ramos, Jocelle Batapa-Sigue and Em Ang, who is out of the country. Meanwhile, Villamor said the Tourism officials of Puerto Princesa paid a call on him yesterday because they have a tourism promotion activity at the Robinsons Place until Sunday. They are promoting Puerto Princesa as a tourism destination and are making arrangements with airline companies to establish a direct flight from Bacolod to Puerto Princesa, he said.*CGS Police Officer 3 Felipe Moncatar of Police Station 4 in Bacolod City was commended by the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Bacolod during its regular session yesterday, for his meritorious promotion by President Benigno Aquino, III on July 2 at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
Moncatar was given the distinction because of his desirable and distinct contributions to the police force and society, particularly for the City of Bacolod, a resolution authored by Councilor El Cid Familiaran said. Also cited by President Aquino was the apprehension of the most-wanted criminals, members of the syndicate involved in rapes, murders, robberies and kidnappings. Most of the apprehensions were done without the use of firearms or any armament, although he was apprehending notorious personalities, it said. The resolution also said that young as he is, he has been in the police service for seven years and has proven himself worthy of emulation by the men and women in uniform. The Sanggunian therefore found it fitting to recognize him for he truly deserves it, it added. Resolution No. 08-13-019, series of 2013 was approved by the SP yesterday with Familiaran, Councilors Roberto Rojas, Claudio Puentevella, Caesar Distrito, Archie Baribar, Wilson Gamboa, Jr., Alex Paglumotan, Sonya Verdeflor, Ana Marie Palermo and Mona Dia Jardin, voting in the affirmative. Moncatar thanked the SP led by Vice Mayor Greg Gasataya for showing their appreciation for his service to the community.*CGS An ordinance giving priority to the poorest of the poor in Bacolod City in terms of health services is being pushed by Councilor El Cid Familiaran.
In his proposed Indigency Health Program ordinance, Familiaran stated that it is the policy of the City of Bacolod to provide sustainable health program and health care services for the poor and indigents by optimizing the use of PhilHealth sponsored program, and other related programs of the government. According to Familiaran, it is the objective of the city to provide “no billing balance” in the government hospital, Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, and any similar government health institutions in the city, for every indigent-patient who is a member and enrolled in the PhilHealth sponsored program. The councilor said all indigent-patients upon billing shall not be required to pay for any hospital expense. Familiaran also said that if ever possible, Congressional or Party-List fund allocation in the hospital that is intended for the indigent-patient must be exhausted, and remaining bills of indigent-patient must be paid through the PhilHealth sponsored program. The proposed ordinance also seeks mandatory enrollment to PhilHealth of all indigent families. It also pushes for the provision of a Baseline Data of the Barangay, for which the data of the indigents in the purok is paramount, especially in terms of its authenticity and accuracy, the submission of the lists of indigents by the barangay to the City Planning and Development Office, City Health Office and the Indigency Health Desk./WDJ WATCHMEN DAILY JOURNAL Members of the Bacolod City Council under the Nationalist People’s Coalition-Grupo Progreso got chairmanship of most major Sangguniang Panlungsod committees during their inaugural session yesterday.
The SP members also adopted their internal rules and elected Councilor Caesar Distrito as floor leader, as well as, the vice chairmen and members of the various committees. Distrito is also a member of the NPC-GP along with Councilors Em Ang, Mona Dia Jardin, Roberto Rojas, Carlos Jose Lopez, Keith Ramos, Alex Paglumotan and Vice Mayor Greg Gasataya. Councilors El Cid Familiaran, Archie Baribar and Sonya Verdeflor are members of The Magnificent Seven, while Councilors Claude Puentevella, Wilson Gamboa Jr, Jocelle Batapa-Sigue and Anna Marie Palermo are members of MKK or Magbinuligay Kita sa Kauswagan. Distrito chairs the Committees on Laws, Ordinances and Good Government, and Urban Development and Planning, while Rojas chairs the Committees on Appropriation and Finance, and Health and Sanitation. Jardin chairs the Committees on Ways and Means, and Barangay Affairs, while Puentevella chairs the Committees on Public Works, and Fire, Natural Disasters and Calamities. Lopez chairs the Committees on Environment and Ecology, and Transportation and Traffic; Tourism and Local, National and International Cooperation, while Verdeflor chairs the Committees on Markets and Slaughterhouse, and Agriculture and Fisheries. Paglumotan chairs the Committees on Trade, Commerce and Industry; Education; and Urban Poor, Housing and Resettlement, while Batapa-Sigue chairs the Committee on History, Culture, and Arts. Ang chairs the Committees on Family and Child Care and Development; Social Services and Development; and Women and Gender, while Familiaran chairs the Committees on Police Security and Jail Management, and Government Assets. Baribar chairs the Committees on Communications and Energy, Human Rights; and Senior Citizen and Veterans Affairs, while Gamboa chairs the Committees on Cooperative and Livelihood Programs, and Human Resource. Ramos chairs the Committee on Youth, SK Affairs and Sports, while Palermo chairs the Committees on Family and Childcare and Development, and Labor and Management Relations and Overseas Workers. Gasataya, the presiding officer, chairs the Committee on Executive and Legislative Liason. “Do not expect us to be supermen and superwomen because we cannot solve the problems of the city in just one day or a year. But if we help each other, we will get there,” Bacolod Mayor Monico Puentevella yesterday said during their inauguration at the Bacolod Public Plaza.
Puentevella yesterday appealed for the cooperation of the people particularly the private sector, as well as the support of other elected officials. Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Anita Chua administered his ceremonial oath of office, while Councilors Claude Puentevella, Sonya Verdeflor, Anna Marie Palermo, Wilson Gamboa Jr. and Jocelle Batapa-Sigue were sworn in by Villamonte Barangay Captain Andre Victor Las Piñas. They were later joined by Councilor El Cid Familiaran, who was present during the thanksgiving mass. Vice Mayor Greg Gasataya, Councilors Alex Paglumutan, Caesar Distrito; Carlos Jose Lopez, Em Legaspi-Ang; Roberto Rojas, Mona Dia Jardin and Keith Ramos, all of Grupo Progreso and Councilor Archie Baribar of The Magnificent Seven failed to show up yesterday at the plaza. They had earlier taken their oaths. Puentevella said “Let us set aside politics because there will be will be a time for it after three years. This is the time for change. With consultation from the business sector, we will rise from the ashes of billions of pesos in debt.” He said Bacolod City is a member of the billionaires club but he is claiming that its debt is in billions despite accounting figures already released showing a much lower amount Puentevella said he had waited so long to be able to speak in front of the Bacolodnons at the Bacolod Public Plaza. He said that the public has very high expectations from his administration, especially in solving the traffic woes, garbage, drainage problems, among others, so they will come up with a master plan for Bacolod. They will review and possibly repeal the Revised Revenue Code of the city, which Puentevella claimed had become an added burden to the business community of the city. Puentevella said that starting January, the city will observe monthly festivities to ensure continued influx of local and foreign tourists throughout the whole year. In January, the city will celebrate the feast of San Sebastian with an offering and this will be followed by dancing and drinking, he said. They will also push for the creation of a Bacolod Metro Development Authority Puentevella assured the teachers of higher Emergency Cost of Living Allowance, a creation of a teacher’s village, more classrooms, and a fund for post graduate studies, as well as TESDA scholarships for students and more day care centers. He said the solution to end poverty is only through education, which is a priority of his administration. A PERSONAL PROJECT Puentevella said there will be more funds for health programs especially for his pet project - the MKK or Monico Kabuhi Ko. It was his dream when he was yet a councilor to put up an international convention center in Bacolod, he said, adding that he also aspires to make Bacolod the sports capital of the Philippines. Puentevella also aired his plans of hosting the APEC summit and making the city as the country’s number one in terms of Information Technology (IT). “Now I am your servant leader and you are all our masters. We do not have masters only the Lord and the people especially the masses”, Puentevella said. He also thanked all those who had helped campaign for him especially former Bacolod Rep. Anthony Golez and former councilor Lyndon Caña, both of whom lost their bids. During the gala night, Puentevella received tokens from Mayor Kang Seong Ho of South Korea and Nestor Gargarita representing MassKara Bacolod New York Edition that won in a competition held last year. CHANGING COLORS Meanwhile, the roof of the gazebo at the Bacolod Public Plaza, that used to be green, was painted blue for the inauguration, while the zeal of Bacolod City had also turned blue from green.*CGS Bacolod Mayor Monico Puentevella appealed to the city's department heads, employees including his fellow elected officials for their support and cooperation in order for them to achieve greater things for Bacolod and its people, during the flag-raising ceremony at the Bacolod City Government Center yesterday.
He said elections are over and they should work as a team since he cannot do things alone. Puentevella was joined by his fellow elected officials, Vice Mayor Greg Gasataya and Councilors Sonya Verdeflor, Wilson Gamboa, Jr., Claude Puentevella, Ana Marie Palermo, El Cid Familiaran and Archie Baribar during a mass at the Bacolod Government Center following the first flag raising ceremony he attended as mayor. Councilors Caesar Distrito, Em Ang, Carl Lopez, Mona Dia Jardin, Keith Ramos, Bobby Rojas, Jocelle Batapa-Sigue, and Alex Paglomutan were not present during the flag raising ceremony yesterday. Puentevella said he met with Gasataya and members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod to appeal for their cooperation in order for them to succeed as a team. He also told the employees “they should now act as servant leaders of Bacolod and he would like to hear feedback from the public that at the Government Center the work attitude of the public officials and government employees are worthy of recognition and it should start from him. They all have one mission and that is to improve the efficiency of their work and to serve the people well, he said. Puentevella was prayed over by Fr. Narciso de la Cruz at the Mayor’s Ceremonial Hall after the blessing of the offices on all three floors of the Bacolod Government Center, yesterday. During the flag-raising rites, Puentevella introduced former Bacolod Mayor Rolando Villamor as his City Administrator and some of his executive assistants, Ramon Viva, Ramonito Lastima, Roger Dullano, Biloy Pauyon, Lorenzo Alminaza, Lilia Ursos, Bobby Lucasan, Sarah Esguerra and Manuel "Chuck" Garcia. Meanwhile, Villamor said that according to the City Treasurer’s Office the city has P363 million in time deposit and P500 million in other deposits as of March 31. But there are still about P11 million in unpaid wages and terminal leave benefits to be paid, he said. Puentevella said he will have to ask the members of the Sangguniang Panlunsod to pass a supplemental budget in their first session for this purpose. Among his priority programs are efficiency in traffic, garbage collection and flood control, among others, he said. Acting City Administrator Rolando Villamor echoed the order of the Mayor to the city employees by asking them to return to their mother units. One of their problems is how many casuals will they need and if there is still a budget left for them. Villamor said they will ask City Treasurer Annabelle Badajos to help them determine how much budget they can disburse. He said they are still assessing the situation but he is confident this will be resolved.* BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO THE VISAYAN DAILY STAR |
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