The Bacolod City government has lined-up tourism activities for April and May called “One Summer Smile” to entice local and national tourists to visit the city to help boost its economy.
Councilor Claudio Puentevella said they are trying to create something new to help Bacolod become one of the top tourist destinations for summer this year, not only in the Visayas but in the whole Philippines. Mayor Monico Puentevella, who is supporting the efforts of his son, said the activity will disclose what the city could offer to both local and national tourists who decide to spend summer in Bacolod City. Councilor Puentevella, also joined by Councilors Wilson Gamboa Jr., El Cid Familiaran, Sonya Verdeflor and Ana Marie Palermo, said at a press conference yesterday that they want people to be aware that Bacolod has more to offer aside from its delicious food and hospitality. Familiaran said the Sangguniang Panlungsod is in full support of the two-month summer activity, which is the first and a one of a kind in Bacolod. The “One Summer Smile” festivities started April 6 with the opening of the 8th Monico Cup Under 21 Inter Barangay Basketball Tournament and will run through May with a slew of activities including drag races, parties, holy week events, a food fair, fashion show, sporting spectacles and exhibits. Michael Espino, one of the organizers of the “!st Bacolod Speed Fest,” said the drag race will be held from April 11 to 13 at the old Bacolod airport with racers from Manila, Cebu, Davao and Iloilo joining the event. He said the expect about 100 cars to run in this event. They will also hold a motocross invitational race on April 25 to 27 at BREDCO. Nep Grandea of SM Bacolod said the 29th Philippine Dog Agility will be also held at SM South Wing on Saturday.*CGS BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO Visayan Daily Star
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An ordinance approving the installation of closed-circuit television cameras in all public elementary and high schools in Bacolod City, was passed by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod on third and final reading yesterday.
The ordinance was authored by Councilor El Cid Familiaran, and co-authored by Councilors Archie Baribar, Noli Villarosa, and Alex Paglumotan. T he employment of CCTV/ Video Surveillance System(VSS) cameras by any entity, particularly by the local government unit purposely to record factual evidence of crime has been proven to be an effective instrument to deter any act of lawlessness, the ordinance said. T he Sanguniang passed City Ordinance No. 595, series of 2012, called the “ Bacolod City Eye in the Sky Comprehensive Closed-Circuit Television Ordinance” and City Ordinance No. 600, series of 2012, or “ An Ordinance Requiring all Banks and other Financial Institutions as well as Certain Business Establishments within the City of Bacolod to Install Closed-Circuit Television(CCTV) within their premises,” it said. The ordinance said these local laws, however, do not include schools where recently crimes have been committed against the victims by lawless elements, thereby necessitating the installation of CCTV/ VSS cameras in their campuses or premises. Violation of the provisions of the ordinance, particularly sections 5 and 7, will render violators a penalty of P2,000 for the first offense, P3,000 for the second offence, and P5,000 for the third offense and an imprisonment or penalty of six months to one year or both fine and penalty at the discretion of the Court. The SP also approved an ordinance making voluntary blood donation as a settlement instead of fine in violation of traffic regulations. The ordinance authored by Councilor El Cid Familiaran, said scarcity of blood has been noticed, not just by foreign countries or their health providers, but by the International Red Cross. Nationally, such serious concern was identified when dengue illness hit the country, particularly Bacolod which resulted in the shortage of blood in the hospitals in the city, whereby increasing its cost that contributed to the cause of death of many poor patients, particularly the children, it said. The ordinance also said PNRC Secretary General Gwendolyn Pang stated that last 2013 there was shortage of blood, considering that out of the 950,000 units of blood needed by the country, PNRC was only able to collect 440,000 units of blood. This only representing 49.6 percent of the nation's badly needed blood. And, because of this situation, the global theme: “More Blood, More Life!” for ‘World Blood Day' last June 14, 2013 was adopted by the Department of Health when it observed the National Voluntary Blood Donation Month last July 2013, it said. Republic Act No. 7719, “An Act Promoting Voluntary Blood Donation, Providing for an Adequate Supply of Safe Blood, Regulating Blood Banks, and Providing Penalties for Violation Thereof,” was passed by Congress to institutionalize and ensure an adequate supply of blood. Among the measures considered to generate additional blood for patients is to recognize the voluntary donation of blood by traffic violators in lieu of the mandated fine, it added.*CGS BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO Visayan Daily Star Major streets and crime prone areas in Bacolod City will soon be equipped with Close Circuit Television after the City Peace and Order Council finally approved the Local Anti-Criminality Action Plan, during its regular meeting Friday, at the Masskara Hall of the Bacolod City Government Center, a press release from City Hall said..
The plan was proposed by P/Chief Insp. Noel Polines of the Bacolod City Police Office and was unanimously approved by the council presided over by Councilor El Cid Familiaran, chairman of the Committee on Police, Jail Management and Security, it said. The main purpose of the CCTV is to monitor and minimize crime in the city since theft and robbery rank high among the case filed based on the records of the BCPO, Polines said. As chairman of the council, Bacolod Mayor Monico Puentevella said he will look for a “budget” so the CCTV’s will be purchased as soon as possible, the release said. The installation of this ‘hi-tech’ equipment is a preparation for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation 2015 conference, he said. Puentevella also asked the help of the Bacolod Police and the Philippine Army to continually secure peace and order, adding that he has positive feedback that Bacolod will get the ‘hosting right’ of one of the conference of APEC, the press release added.* Visayan Daily Star An ordinance renaming the City High Mansilingan Road in Bacolod City as Vicente Remitio Avenue, was approved by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod on third and final reading Wednesday.
The ordinance authored by Councilors El Cid Familiaran and Archie Baribar and co-authored by Councilor Jocelle Batapa-Sigue, said the late Vicente T. Remitio was a tireless civic leader, religious worker; brilliant lawyer scholar; student leader; debater, gold medalist orator, a recipient of 30 distinctions and honors, including an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws and Honoris Causa conferred by the the Central Philippine University. The ordinance also said Remitio helped organized the Young Men Christian Association, the Negros Press Club and the Parenthood Movement of Negros Occidental, and was an active member and past president of the Rotary Club of Bacolod, the Convention of the Philippine Baptist Churches and other numerous organizations and associations. Appointed Mayor by the late President Manuel Roxas in November 25, 1946, he held the position until October 3, 1948 when he established the Bacolod City High School; the Burgos Public Market and Libertad Market and the Bacolod City Slaughterhouse projects, which, until today, continue to serve the people of Bacolod, it said. The ordinance said Remitio was elected as No. 1 councilor of Bacolod City in 1955. In an interview with the late Cesar Borromeo, the writer said former Mayor Remitio had said that, “The longer I stay as City Mayor, the poorer I get, and the more insecure my family becomes.” Recognizing his selfless dedication to the city, a leading national magazine, The Philippine Free Press, called him in a cover story “Service at a Sacrifice,” the ordinance said. His achievement made him a recipient of the “Ang Banwahanon Award for Public Service,” the highest award given to a Bacolodnon by the City, it said.*CGS BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO Visayan Daily Star A resolution requesting AVM Bernardo Engineering, operator of the Bacolod City Slaughterhouse in Brgy. Handumanan, Bacolod City, to cease-and-desist from collecting 12 percent VAT from meat vendors while issues over the operation of the slaughterhouse are being resolved was unanimously approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod yesterday.
The resolution was sponsored Bacolod Councilor El Cid Familiaran in response the letter of Michael Yusingco, Bacolod Meat Vendors Association president, dated March 4, requesting for the deferment of the 12 percent VAT. Plant manager Glorydee Cometa informed the city that they will impose the 12 percent VAT after the Bureau of Internal Revenue released their official receipt early this year, during a public hearing on Feb. 24. Yusingco, however, said yesterday that the 12 percent VAT was imposed on them without the SP being informed about it. He said that, based on the memorandum of agreement between the city and AVM Bernardo, any increase should not be more than 10 percent and this should have the approval of the SP. What the operator is imposing is a price increase and not VAT since it is earning more than P2 million a year and is therefore required to pay VAT, he said. Yusingco said AVM Bernardo is allegedly earning about P29 to P30 million a year but they declared that they are only earning between P20 to P24 million. He also denied the claims of Cometa that the meat vendors have unsettled accounts of P3 million with AVM Bernardo. How can that happen when the operator will not slaughter their animals if they cannot pay VAT? Yusingco asked. Meanwhile, Councilor Sonya Verdeflor, chairman of the Committee on Markets and Salughterhouse, recommended that the city should review the MOA between the city and AVM Bernardo, particularly Article IV, Section 16, to determine whether or not the operator can shift the 12 percent VAT to its customers, increasing its slaughtering fees without the approval and concurrence of the SP. She also recommended that the SP should determine whether or not AVM Bernardo violated the conditions and their obligations in the MOA. During the Feb. 24 committee hearing, AVM Bernardo was given 60 days by the city to comply with the conditions of the MOA, and, together with the meat vendors represented by Yusingco, submit their position papers in support of their respective stand on the subject within 30 days from the date of the committee hearing.*CGS BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO Visayan Daily Star The Sangguniang Panlungsod authorized Bacolod Mayor Monico Puentevella to sign the P90 million garbage hauling contract with Enviroking Corporation, during a special session yesterday.
Councilor Caesar Distrito yesterday said he refused to vote in favor of the contract because under R.A. 9184, before a contractor is allowed to bid, it should have an experience of 50 percent of the Approved Budget of the Contract. Since the ABC is P90 million, Enviroking should have an experience of P45 million single and not aggregate contract. An Aggregate contract is only allowed if there was a failure of bidding, he said. In this case, there was no failure of bidding since the Bids and Awards Committee only disqualified the other bidder (IPM Construction) for a minor defect, Distrito said. “They also included in the experience the hospital waste contract, when the toxic and hospital wastes are supposed to be separated from the general waste. So EnviroKing qualified,” he said. Distrito said the contract of P90 million will cover 10 months, which means that the city will have to pay Enviroking P9 million a month, regardless of the volume of garbage it will collect. He cited, for example, that if the garbage truck of the contractor breaks down and it fails to collect garbage for one day, the city will still have to pay it P9 million a month. That is why he voted in the negative, he said. Distrito said he is in favor of the privatization of garbage collection but not this kind of provision in the contract which he considers disadvantageous to the city. The contract of the city with Enviroking Corporation on sustainable system of solid waste hauling and disposal services covers the period March 1 to December 31, in the amount of P89,970,000. Enviroking Corporation general manager Erwin Buot assured the legislators that they will render door-to-door service in the 61 barangays of Bacolod City. He said they will provide a separate garbage truck to collect garbage in the public markets and a separate one for hospital wastes. He also said they have shipped 20 units of garbage trucks from Manila to Bacolod. Verdeflor said Enviroking has been collecting the garbage of San Juan, Metro Manila, and other cities in Manila for more than 20 years already. BAC chairman Jerome Solinap said only Enviroking Corporation qualified because they were informed by Metrowaste Solidwaste Management, whose contract with the city expires today, that it is no longer interested in renewing its contract with Bacolod City. Present during the special session were Councilors El Cid Familiaran, Jocelle Batapa-Sigue, Sonya Verdeflor, Ana Marie Palermo, Claudio Puentevella, Noli Villarosa, Archie Baribar,and Wilson Gamboa, Jr., who all belong to the majority bock. Also present were Councilors Roberto Rojas and Alex Paglumotan, Department of Public Services head Josephus Cerna.*CGS Visayan Daily Star The Bacolod Sanggunaing Panlungsod passed on first reading yesterday an ordinance “Naming the public building known as the Bacolod City Government Center as the People’s House of Bacolod City,” despite the opposition of Councilor Caesar Distrito.
Distrito, chairman of the SP Committee on Laws, Ordinances and Good Government, said he opposed the move to rename the Bacolod City Government Center citing Section 12 of the Local Government Code which requires local governments to establish a government center. This is a specific provision that deals with the name of the government center, and therefore renaming it by an ordinance is a violation of the law because an ordinance cannot supersede a law, he said. While Section 13 of the Local Government Code is a generic provision that deals with public structures, streets and buildings, other than the government center which is already provided in Section 12, he said. Therefore, if there is a conflict between a specific and generic provision, the specific provision will prevail, Distrito said. Councilor Jocelle Batapa-Sigue, chair of the SP Committee on History, Arts and Culture, said, the status of the building is as is. Only the name was made official, and that the public building of the city is named the People’s House of Bacolod. Distrito said the history of the edifice shows that the purpose of the same is to name it as government center, and incumbent leaders should at least give some respect to their former leader’s intention. An informal consultation he conducted showed that people are against renaming the BCGC to People’s House, he said. The ordinance was jointly authored by Councilors El Cid Familiaran, Archie Baribar, Ana Marie Palermo, Wilson Gamboa, Jr, Batapa-Sigue, Sonya Verdeflor, Claudio Puentevella, and Noli Villarosa, all perceived to be associated with Mayor Monico Puentevella. The government center costs the city P400 million and was constructed during the administration of then Mayor and now Bacolod Rep. Evelio Leonardia.*CGS BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO Visayan Daily Star A special session will be held at 1:30 p.m. today on the request of Bacolod Mayor Monico Puentevella for authority for him to sign the contract with Enviroking Corp. for the hauling of garbage in Bacolod City.
Bacolod Councilor Em Ang said the Sangguniang Panlungsod did not act on the request during their session yesterday after Councilor Caesar Distrito pointed out that the copy of the memorandum of agreement between the city and Enviroking Corp. was only submitted to them noontime yesterday so they did not have time to study and scrutinize its content. Ang said Councilor Archie Baribar wanted the SP to act on the matter since the contract of Enviroking Corp. starts on March 1 and he was concerned that garbage may not be collected. The deliberation lasted for about 30 minutes because Baribar wanted to also include the ratification of the contract when they had not yet received a request, she said. Ang said they only received a copy of the MOA at about 11 a.m. yesterday and it was not stated in the contract how much Enviroking Corp. will be charging for garbage collection. What they are approving is an authority to sign in favor of the city and their function is to provide check-and-balance, and to make sure to scrutinize the content of the contract, she said. It does not mean they are objecting or not approving the request. They just want the SP members to be given time to read and scrutinize the contract, Ang said. She recalled that Distrito had called for a public hearing and submitted a committee report before they authorized former Mayor and now Bacolod Rep. Evelio Leonardia to sign the contract with Metrowaste Solidwaste Management. But Baribar said they do not have enough time since the contract of Enviroking starts on March 1 while the contract of Metrowaste with the city ends tomorrow, she said. Councilor El Cid Familiaran pointed out that Enviroking charges P89,970,000 which is less by P30,000 than Metro Waste Solid Management Corp., which cost the city P90 million. Distrito said that it took them another week to ratify the contract of Metrowaste after they conducted a committee hearing and authorized the former Mayor to sign the MOA with the contractor. He said a representative of the BAC told them that the Mayor has the power to extend the contract of Metrowaste in the exigency of the service. It is their duty to scrutinize the contract and they want to exercise their function especially that this contract involves P90 million of people’s money, he added. Distrito said “If the majority will force us to act on it, that is a violation of the rights of the minority.” They want to provide check-and-balance so, “Let us review it well and afterwards let us make an informed decision after we hear from our resource speakers,” he said.*CGS BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO Visayan Daily Star The plant manager of the Bacolod City Slaughterhouse in Brgy. Handumanan, Bacolod City, was warned by Bacolod Mayor Monico Puentevella yesterday that the city will terminate the operation of the facility if it fails to comply the provisions of the contract entered into by AVM Bernardo Engineering and the Bacolod City Government.
The city might also take over the operation of the slaughterhouse if it could handle it someday, Puentevella said, during the hearing conducted by the Committee on Markets chaired by Councilor Sonya Verdeflor on the request of AVM Bernardo Engineering to impose 12 percent VAT on slaughtering fees. Puentevella said he ordered the review of the MOA after the meat shop vendors complained that the slaughterhouse operator plans to pass on to them the 12 percent VAT being imposed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue. He asked why they are imposing the 12 percent VAT only now. He also pointed out that the slaughterhouse operator has not submitted its annual report and evaluation of the operation of the slaughterhouse. Puentevella said if they do not comply, the city will terminate its operation or allow them to operate, but will put up another slaughterhouse to give the people a choice. Plant manager Glorydee Cometa said they only imposed the 12 percent VAT recently because it was only early this year that their official receipt was issued. Marvin Tañada, legal counsel of AVM Bernardo, said this is a national law set forth in Section 105 of the Internal Revenue Code, which states that the VAT is imposed on any trader, manufacturer or retailer and can be passed on to buyers. Any tax which may be imposed is not inclusive of the slaughtering rates based on Article 4 of Section 15 and is allowed by the MOA, he said. Michael Yusingco, president of the Meat Vendor's Association of Bacolod, said they oppose the imposition of 12 percent VAT, especially because prices of pork meat have increased. He said pork meat is P190 to P200 per kilo while beef is P200 per kilo and may reach P226 per kilo if they will be imposed additional taxes. Aside from the 12 percent VAT imposed by AVM Bernardo, they are paying the city P20 per hog and P60 per cattle daily, he added. Yusingco said the MOA is disadvantageous to them and to the city. He also complained about the facilities of the slaughterhouse and the way slaughtered animals are being handled. AVM Bernardo was issued a notice of violation last week by the City Legal Office and asked to correct its violations in accordance with the provisions of the MOA, following its review on the operation of the Bacolod City Slaughterhouse. The CLO cited that the operator failed to provide the machineries and equipment embodied in the agreement like cold storage facilities; cattle, hog, and poultry line equipment, among others. Present at the committee hearing were Councilor El Cid Familiaran, acting City Veterinarian Dr. Agueda de la Torre, acting City Treasurer Giovanni Balalilhe, acting Libertad Market Supervisor Portia Familiaran, Burgos Market Supervisor Kong Heng Ting, CLO Asset Management Case Review Committee head Cesar Beloria, and representatives of the CLO, City Health Office.*CGS BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO Visayan Daily Star The Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Markets and Slaughterhouse chaired by Councilor Sonya Verdeflor held a public hearing yesterday on the proposed ordinance granting 20 percent discount to stall awardees or lessees who promptly pay their monthly stall block rentals, a press release from City Hall said.
The proposed ordinance is authored by Councilor El Cid Familiaran, chairman of the Committee on Government Assets. The measure states that through the passage of City Ordinance No. 407 Series of 2006, City Ordinance No. 589 Series of 2011 and City Ordinance No. 615 Series of 2012, the city has been granting market stall awardees tax relief on the surcharges, interests, penalties and arrearages on their rental obligations. It also provides that those market awardees or lessees who are beneficiaries of such ordinance are not religious or prompt taxpayers, but they have been given by the city tax relief on their unpaid market rentals, the press release said. The presidents of the market vendors associations operating at the Burgos North Public Market were present to air their concerns, the release also said. City Administrator Rolando Villamor, City Legal Officer Sarah Villamor, CLO Enforcement Unit Head Rey Demesana and Market Supervisors Portia Familiaran and Kong Heng Ting, were also present, the press release added.* Visayan Daily Star |
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