BACOLOD City – Finally, city councilors here can discuss other matters in their sessions now that the P1.8-billion annual city government budget for this year is approved. The city government may now function better, too, compared to when it was operating on a reenacted budget, according to Councilor Archie Baribar. The Sangguniang Panlungsod unanimously approved the budget yesterday after Councilor Claudio Jesus Puentevella, chairperson of the committee on appropriations and finance, submitted his committee report on it. The city council started discussing the then proposed annual budget in October last year. Baribar, who presided yesterday’s session, said it took them only an hour to deliberate on the report and approve the budget. He noted no objections from his fellow councilors and no reduction in any of the city hall departments’ allocations. Vice Mayor Greg Gasataya was on official leave. He left for Manila to attend an event of the Vice Mayors’ League of the Philippines. No. 1 Councilor El Cid Familiaran, on the other hand, was sick. In its next sessions, Baribar said, the Sangguniang Panlungsod may discuss Mayor Monico Puentevella’s request for authority to enter into an agreement on the P2.5-million financial aid the city government will give Bacolaodiat Festival organizers. Bacolaodiat (Chinese New Year celebration) was held from Feb. 5 to 8. The city government earlier promised the organizers a P4-million financial assistance but was unable to release it in time for the festival. At that time, the city council was still barred by the Local Government Code from tackling matters other than the annual budget. On Monday, the executive department sent the city council another request for the cash aid, with the amount reduced to P2.5 million. Another matter the councilors will discuss, Baribar said, is the ratification of the contract for the flyover project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) at the Magsaysay-Araneta intersection here. Gasataya, who acted as mayor when Mayor Puentevella was suspended for 90 days over a graft charge, signed the agreement for the construction and installation of a two-lane, 195-meterpermanent modular flyover. Once the agreement is ratified, it will be forwarded to the DPWH for project implementation, Gasataya earlier said. One of the city government’s priority projects, the Araneta-Magsaysay flyover is seen to decongest vehicular traffic here./PN BY MAE SINGUAY
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