After more than a month, the proposed 2016 general budget amounting to P1.8 billion was finally approved by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) during their regular session yesterday. Councilor Claudio Jesus Raymundo “Kalaw” Puentevella, Chairman of the SP Committee on Appropriations and Finance, submitted during the session his committee report which was consolidated based on the series of budget hearings he had conducted since January. Prior to the session, Councilor Archie Baribar was chosen by the SP to sit as acting presiding officer after acting Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran notified SP secretary Vicente Petierre III of his absence. Familiaran is acting Vice Mayor until Vice Mayor Greg Gasataya returns from a Vice Mayor’s League meeting in Manila. “If the vice mayor is not around, we recognize the first councilor to preside but if he is not available, the council will select from among themselves who will preside,” explained Baribar, a lawyer. Baribar said he was privileged to be selected by the body as the presiding officer. In yesterday’s regular session, Baribar said the City Council had no further questions during the budget deliberation and decided to unanimously approve the budget with colatilla, a request for the list and number of job order (JO) casual employees that may be hired under the said budget. Baribar claimed, however, that the number of JOs cannot yet be determined as it cannot be immediately seen in a budget proposal for the whole year. They finally proceeded with the approval of the budget for second and third reading, Baribar added. Despite the colatilla, Baribar pointed out the City Government can now utilize the 2016 budget, especially for the placement of personnel and other pending projects. With the passage of the budget, the SP can also start to tackle some of the more than 60 pending matters next week. “It will be a heavy normal situation for us next session as we will discuss urgent matters with the SP that have been delayed for the past month,” Baribar said. Aside from Baribar, other members of the SP present were Roberto “Bobby” Rojas, Jocelle Batapa-Sigue, Em Ang, Carl Lopez, Ana Marie Palermo, Sonya Verdeflor, Alex Paglumotan, Wilson “Jun” Gamboa, Jr., Caesar Distrito, Noli Villarosa, and Puentevella./WDJ By Glazyl Jane Marie Y. Masculino
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