A resolution requesting the Department of Environment and Natural Resources/City Environment and natural Resources Office to exempt the applications for free patents of Purok Mahimulaton neighborhood Association, and puroks Alalahoy and Nami-Nami in Barangay Banago, Bacolod City, from a DENR moratorium, was approved by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod recently. The DENR issued a memorandum directing the suspension of acceptance and processing of public lands application "on lands formed by action of the sea in all water-way and accretion islets in river channels and adjacent shores, dried creeks and river beds and other lots of similar character", the resolution said. It was authored by Councilor Caesar Distrito, chairperson of the SP Committee on Government Assets, and Councilor El Cid Familiaran, chair of the SP Committee on Urban Poor, Housing and Resettlement. The Purok Mahimualton Neighborhood Association and those in Puroks Alalahoy and Nami-Nami already applied for residential free patents in Barangay banago, adding that through the years, hundreds of families have been living there and through their efforts and hardship, have reclaimed and developed the areas as solid and stable lands. The area are not prone to flooding, so present conditions are not precarious to the people who are longtime residents and occupants, the resolution said. the SP also requested the Office of Abang Lingkod Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano to assist and help the neighborhood associations in the processing of their applications and to discuss the exemption with the DENR. By: CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO The Visayan Daily Star
0 Comments
A member of the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod said yesterday he will inhibit himself in any deliberation or undertaking involving the proposed sale of the government-owned 1.3 hectare covering Bacolod City's landmark Manokan Country at the Reclamation Area.
“As a public official, I am a reasonable person. If I give my opinion, others might accuse me of protecting my interest. So I have decided to inhibit myself in any deliberation on the Manokan Country,” Bacolod Councilor El Cid Familiaran, who owns a stall between the Manokan Country and the Vendor's Plaza, said. SM Prime Holdings, Inc. Is proposing to buy the 13,783 square meter property at Rizal Street, Road Lot 4 and Burgos Street at the Reclamation Area in Bacolod City that houses the Manokan Country and the Vendor's Plaza, as well as an adjacent parking area,. SM executive vice president Jeffrey Kim, in his letter to Puentevella, said they intend to re-develop the property into an integrated shopping complex with a transport terminal, a hotel and an improved Manokan Country, which is a landmark of Bacolod City. Familiaran said the proposal of SM is absolute sale of the 1.3 hectare lot and not conditional sale, or public private partnership, or even build-operate-transfer, where the next owner will have absolute ownership and control of the property and its usage. His investment in a stall in the Manokan Country came from his own sweat and from hard work after he left Negros Navigation, he said. Familiaran said he bidded for stall 23, located in between the Manokan Country and the Vendor's Plaza, sometime in 2006 or 2007, for about P500,000 and he paid all the arrears and other obligations of the previous tenant. If the Manokan Country is sold, Familiaran said he will lose his investment and is certain he will not be refunded since they are just stall renters. He said he will dispose of the property for the city to improve the Manokan Country. Based on the records of the Permits and Licensing Division, only Familiaran has no outstanding account with the city, as well as the owners of stall nos. 25 and 26. Familiaran said he is just paying rental fees for the land amounting to P900, while the others are paying for the rent of the stalls amounting to about P2,000 or P3,000 a month. He said the SM communication submitted by the mayor to the SP was for information only, but if it requires action from the SP, he will inhibit himself. Meanwhile, Puentevella said the income generated by the new Manokan Country will be used to improve several of the city's basic services to better serve the community. “It will still be called Manokan Country no matter what,” Puentevella said. He said the idea is part of the Master Plan which was created during the first months of his administration with the help of the United Architects of the Philippines – Negros Occidental Chapter. It also incorporated a coastal road that will stretch from Banago to Talisay, a sugar road from Sum-ag to the new Bacolod-Silay Airport access road and the upgrade of the public plaza. He said he will talk with the bidders and the UAP-Negros to find a city-owned property near the vicinity to house the vendors when the construction takes place.*CGS By: Chrysee G. Samillano Visayan Daily Star A resolution endorsing the request of Bacolod Police Chief Senior Supt. Melchor Coronel to temporarily suspend Permit to Carry Firearms Outside of Residence in Bacolod City from midnight of April 25 to 12 midnight of May 1, has been approved by the Bacolod Sangguiang Panlungsod.
Bacolod Councilor El Cid Familiaran, chairman of the SP Committee on Police, Security and Jail Management, yesterday said they endorsed the request of Coronel to Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina of the Philippine National Police. Coronel has also requested for a partial road closure of Burgos Street, Fernando Street and Palanca Road on April 28 to 31 as part of their security preparations for the Asia Pacific Economic Conference and for the safety of the delegates, Familiaran said. A committee hearing may be called by Councilor Alex Paglumotan on the matter, he said. In his letter to Familiaran dated April 8, Coronel said the City of Bacolod is expected to host the Asia Pacific Conference on Credit Information Bureau Meetings on April 29 to 30 at the SMX Convention Center and delegates from the APEC-member countries, who are expected to attend meeting, will start arriving April 25. Coronel, who is the APEC officer-in-charge, said the Bacolod City Police Office is tasked to maintain peace and order and to protect the delegates. In order to ensure the safety of the visitors and carry out their anti-criminality programs, and he deems it necessary to suspend the PTCFOR to deter activities of lawless elements. The success of the conduct of the APEC meeting in Bacolod City and the safety of the delegates will strongly rely on the cooperation and support of stakeholders to the BCPO, Coronel said.*CGS BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO Visayan Daily Star An ordinance requiring all malls and business establishments in Bacolod City to provide sanitary restrooms free of charge to its customers, was approved by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod on third and final reading yesterday.
The ordinance authored by Bacolod Councilor El Cid Familiaran and co-authored by Councilor Claudio Puentevella, said the provision of sanitary restrooms in malls and business establishments in the city, free of charge to its customers will serve the public, and further address their comfort and convenience. The influx of tourists in the city and in the province makes it even more exigent for the city to require malls/business establishments within its jurisdiction to provide sanitary restrooms, it said. Fines and penalties will be imposed on owners of malls and business establishments who violate Section 6 of the ordinance ranging from an imprisonment of two to five months or a fine of P3,000 or both imprisonment and fine at the discretion of the Court for the second offense, after they have been issued a warning on first offense. A penalty of imprisonment of six months to one year or a fine of P5,000 or both imprisonment and fine at the discretion of the Court will be imposed on erring business establishments, as well as, cancellation of business permit, for the third offense. The SP also approved yesterday a resolution requesting the head of the Office of the Senior Citizens Association to facilitate through the Office of Mayor Monico Puentevella the implementation of City Ordinance No. 501 series of 2009 or ‘An ordinance granting free movie privilege to all qualified senior citizens of the city.”*CGS Visayan Daily Star An ordinance requiring food chains, restaurants, hotels, pension houses, inns, canteens, steakhouses, eateries, carinderias and all food businesses in the City of Bacolod to serve half a cup of rice ordered by a customer, was passed on first reading by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod Wednesday.
The ordinance authored by Councilor El Cid Familiaran said that globally, the prices of rice continue to surge, which in effect creates shortage. Foreign news reported, that among the countries hit by rice shortage are Bangladesh and China. Due to limited lands for rice production, the Philippines relies on rice imports from the other Asian countries, particularly Vietnam, Thailand and Japan. In 2008, it was reported that the country had 4.2 million hectares of land devoted to rice production, but only 1.4 million hectares are irrigated, the ordinance said. This ordinance will be known as“One Half (1/2) CupRice Serving for Food Customers in Bacolod City.” A fine of not more than P2,000 or a penalty of imprisonment of not more than four months, or both fine and imprisonment at the discretion of the Court will be meted to those who violate the ordinance for the first time. For the second violation,a fine of more than P2,000 but not more than P3,500 or a penalty of imprisonment of more than four months but not more than five months, or both fine and penalty at the discretion of the Court. A fine of P3,501 but not more than P5,000 or a penalty of six months or both fine and penalty at the discretion of the Court plus two months suspension of business permits, will be meted for the third offense.*CGS By Chrysee G. Samillano The Visayan Daily Star The ordinance authored by Bacolod Councilor El Cid Familiaran and co-authored by Councilor Claudio Puentevella, said the scarcity of blood has been noticed not just by foreign countries or by their health providers, but also by the International Red Cross.
The ordinance said the incidence of blood shortage has been confirmed by Philippine National Red Cross Secretary General Gwendolyn Pang, who stated that the 2013 blood collection fell short of the 950,000 units of blood which the country needs. PNRC only collected 440,000 units, representing 49.6 percent. Inspite of the presence of Red Cross and blood banks at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital and other private hospitals, blood supply remains a major concern of the city, the ordinance said. The ordinance saidRepublic 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,” has been passed by Congress to institutionalize and ensure an adequate supply of blood. Among the measures considered to generate additional blood supply is the voluntary donation of blood by traffic violators in lieu of the mandated fine. The blood donors-trafficviolatorsor BDTV will be issued by the City Health Office an appropriate ID card, as voluntary blood donor, which will qualify him or his immediate family members access to blood donation in the future, the ordinance said. If the blood examination shows that the blood is not fit for medical use, the CHO should inform the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office about it andthe traffic violator will be made to pay the mandated fine, it added.*CGS BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO Visayan Daily Star An ordinance strengthening the PhilHealth program in the City of Bacolod, was passed by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod yesterday on third and final reading.
The ordinance was authored by Councilor El Cid Familiaran and co-authored by Councilors Claudio Puentevella and Ana Marie Palermo. It said paragraph (a) of section 20 of Republic Act No. 10606, or “An Act Amending Republic Act No. 7875, or the National Insurance Act 0f 1995,as amended, and for other purposes” under the provision of sponsored program mandates the Department of Social Welfare and Development for the payment of a premium contribution for subsequent coverage to PhilHealth of the following marginalized sectors: orphans, abandoned and abused minors, out-of-school youths, street children, persons with disabilities, and battered women. Aside from these sectors, it said there are vagrants and other poor members of society, likesingle parents who are left out by PhilHealth coverage, and who may be considered for the PhilHealth sponsored program under this ordinance, it said. It also said it is the policy of the City of Bacolod to provide “O” billing balance payments in the Corazon Locsin Monetebano Regional Hospital for the marginalized sectors/and other poor members of society under the sponsored PhilHealth program. The ordinance providesfor the creation of an Indigency Health Desk in the Office of the City Mayor and a budget of P1 million to be deposited in a trust fund created under this ordinance, which will be solely sourced from the sponsored program*CGS BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO Visayan Daily Star A resolution imploring President Benigno Aquino lll through Alexander Padilla, PhilHealth president, to cause the elevation of PhilHealth coverage of kidney patients who are undergoing hemodialysis in hospitals based in Bacolod City from 45 sessions to 90 sessions every year, was approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod Wednesday.
The resolution authored by Councilor El Cid Familiaran, said research data posted on July 29, 2008, titled, “The burden of kidney disease in the Philippines,”found out that about 120 Filipinos per million develop kidney failure, which means that each year about 10,000 Filipinos need kidney replacement. The study shows that, while there are three available remedy for kidney failure, such as hemodialysis, peritonal dialysis and kidney transplant, hemodialysis is usually opted by patients suffering from kidney failure, as the costs of peritonal dialysis and kidney transplant become prohibited. A kidney transplant alone requires a patient to pay for at least P200,000, the resolution said. A study from the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, a tertiary government hospital providing services for kidney disease, showed that half of the patients who start dialysis die within a year, presumably, because they could not afford sufficient dialysis, it said. This result is back-up by another data, which stated, that, “adequate dialysis costs between P300,000 to P552,000.00 annually. It said. The resolution said a survey conducted by kidney specialists from May to July 2002, showed that only 46 percent out of the 182 patients with chronic kidney disease from Bacolod City and Negros Occidental, who were prescribed dialysis. were able to start treatment. Among those who started dialysis, about 96 percent had inadequate treatment because they cannot afford the cost based on the data. Studies showed that PhilHealth only covers about 51 percent of the annual cost of treatment, if the maximum benefit has been claimed. Thus, a kidney patient has to pay for half of the treatment, or at least P150,000, it added.*CGS BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO Visayan Daily Star Parallel investigations by the Office of the Building Official and the City Legal Office will be held to determine the violations of the owner of the newly constructed resort in the coastline of Barangay Punta Taytay, Bacolod City, Councilor Caesar Distrito said yesterday.
The probes will also be conducted with the Community Environment and Natural Resources and the Environmental Management Board. Distrito said “We are not anti-business but are only after compliance with our laws. If we allow anybody to construct their business on government land and just pay penalties later, this is somehow chaotic.” Yesterday OBO head Isidro Sun Jr. conducted an ocular inspection in the resort, but so far his office has not yet served a notice of violation against Rey Francis Cabuga of Mushroom Realty Development Corp., owner of the resort. The resort was constructed without permits from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Barangay Punta-Taytay and the City Government of Bacolod. The project has also encroached on the foreshore area by 30 meters, Distrito said. Councilor El Cid Familiaran said the members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod will discuss the actions to be taken against Cabuga. In an interview over DYRL yesterday, Familiaran noted that this is the third time that Cabuga, a businessman from Davao, has violated existing national and local laws, and would rather pay fines and penalties of whatever amount, as long as he could start construction of his business, without getting the needed permits from the concerned agencies. He said the resort owners seem to act as if they are above the law and are disrespecting government agencies and office heads by not getting the required permits before starting construction works. Cabuga also has a hotel at 6 th -Lacson streets which apparently occupies the gutter or the sidewalk. He also constructed the Metro Safari resort in Barangay Alangilan even if the conversion of the land has not been completed, and also with no building permit or even a permit from the barangay, he said. The third one is the resort in Barangay Punta-Taytay where Cabuga constructed a 2-storey hotel, two swimming pools, pavilion, huts, restaurants, among others, and failed to apply for a foreshore lease agreement with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and also before securing the necessary permit the OBO, he added. During the hearing conducted by the SP Committee on Laws, Ordinances and Good Government chaired by Distrito, Jenamine Daclizon of Mushroom Realty Development Corporation, said that the resort is almost finished. Daclizon said they believe that they have not encroached on the foreshore area for the construction of their two swimming pools, and that these were constructed on titled properties. However, Freddie Bataanon, chief of the Land Management Services of DENR-CENRO Bacolod said that the company has encroached on the foreshore area by 30 meters and need a foreshore lease agreement. Familiaran said they have to comply first with the law because non-compliance with these permits is ground for the non-issuance of the occupancy permit and the environmental compliance certificate. He said the City Legal Office, OBO and the DENR will inspect the area again soon. Cesar Beloria, head of the CLO Composite Enforcement Team said they are waiting for OBO to issue a notice of violation and order of work stoppage. Meanwhile, Councilor Carlos Jose Lopez said he is supportive of the tourism efforts of Cabuga. What he is doing is a welcome move provided he complies with all the requirements of the government. As chairman of the SP Committee on Tourism, Lopez “We need new tourist destinations in Bacolod City.” On the issue that Cabuga violated the Building Code for failure to secure a building permit, Lopez said this all depends on the Mayor if he will enforce the law. OBO personnel said Cabuga has secured a building permit only for the hotel.*CGS BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO Visayan Daily Star The Office of the Building Official is expected to issue a notice of violation to businessman Rey Francis Cabuga involving the construction of a new resort in Brgy. Punta-Taytay, Bacolod City, that has violated laws of various government agencies.
Cabuga is also the owner of Metro Safari and Metro Inn that had also been issued notices of violations by the OBO. Former Punta-Taytay Barangay Captain and now head of the Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office Rufino Alcala, together with Kagawad Glen Mark Pacheo and former Kagawad Angela Daguno, have filed a complaint against Cabuga's project that they said deprived fisherfolk and oyster growers access to the shoreline in Punta-Taytay. The violations were discovered at the committee hearing conducted by Councilor Caesar Distrito, chairman of the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Laws, Ordinances and Good Government, yesterday that was attended by officials and representatives of various government agencies, as well as, Councilors Ana Marie Palermo and El Cid Familiaran. Cabuga was represented by Catherine Cabuga and Janamine Daclizon of Mushroom Realty Development Corp. Actual inspection and investigation by the City Legal Office led by Cesar Beloria and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, showed that the resort owner has already encroached on the foreshore area by 30 meters, despite the lack of a DENR approved foreshore lease agreement. Cabuga has no environment compliance certificate and no permit from the OBO for the swimming pool he has constructed in the area. What the Environmental Management Bureau has issued was a only a Certificate of Non Coverage (CNC) for the construction of a restaurant. Vicente Lospañes, EMB Bacolod officer-in-charge, said if they are constructing or developing a resort, they need is an ECC. They have not secured an ECC for the reclamation that they have made in the area, Distrito added. OBO head Isidro Sun said that they will issue a notice of violation with a corresponding order of work stoppage to the property owner as soon as possible. During the hearing, Distrito told the representative of Cabuga to stop flaunting their money, and said he felt offended by their attitude. “I feel offended that you're saying that you are paying this and that,” he said. He asked them to comply with the requirements because the government is willing to assist them. Familiaran said “We are for tourism because this will generate tourism and employment, but just follow the law We have national laws that have to be followed.” Daclizon said they have not violated the law because they have asked somebody from Punta-Taytay to facilitate all the permits in their behalf but they have been misled by that person. She said they have all the documents to show that they have not encroached on the foreshore area but there was only a typographical error in the lot number. The DENR also used a different reference point showing that there are only two involved properties, she said. She also said they have bought three properties and are sure that they have not encroached on the foreshore area. All the fishermen who complained were already paid either P100,000, P50,000 or P57,000, she claimed. The officials of various agencies explained to the Cabuga representatives that, based on the inspection and survey they made in the area, their project has already consumed 30 meters of the foreshore area. Beloria also took pictures at the site and the concrete rip-rap which showed that the swimming pool has clearly occupied the foreshore area. Distrito said he will make the committee report and submit it to the Sangguniang Panlungsod for appropriate action.*CGS BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO Visayan Daily Star |
Categories
All
|