EIGHT members of the City Council of Bacolod are proposing an ordinance that will authorize the renaming of the Bacolod Government Center (BGC) into the People's House.
The proponents are councilors Archie Baribar, El Cid Familiaran, Wilson Gamboa, Ana Marie Palermo, Jocelle Batapa-Sigue, Sonya Verdeflor, Claudio Puentevella, and Noli Villarosa. The proposed ordinance cites Article 21, Section E of the Implementing Rules of the Local Government Code of 1991 that grants authority to the SP of highly urbanized cities to name any public place or building owned by the city. In 2007, the City of Bacolod constructed a government building known as the “New Government Center” to house its administrative offices, it said. The building was constructed at the expense of the people of Bacolod through a loan of P400 million where the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) of the city was used to guarantee payment for the next 15 years, according to the ordinance. The taxpayers of Bacolod City can thus rightfully claim that such structure belongs to the people of Bacolod. Naming the structure the People’s House will instill a sense of ownership, common pride and enduring identity to Bacolodnons, the bill added. Former City Legal Officer Joselito Bayatan said anything related to former mayor and now Bacolod Representative Evelio Leonardia is just unacceptable to Mayor Monico Puentevella. Bayatan cited as an example the welcome marker at the Bacolod Public Plaza, which is a replica of the government center, has been covered by a giant tarpaulin using the excuse that there is an occasion. “What good will it render to Bacolod if the name of the government center is changed. It is a waste of energy and time of the SP,” he said. Bayatan said the SP should devote their time to other productive and meritorious ordinances and resolutions and not in changing the name of government center to whatever name they wish, especially so that the name adopted by the Leonardia administration is sourced from a national law, Section 12 of the Local Government Code. “This is politics in high gear by Puentevella and his “Monico inspired politicians,” he said. Bayatan said these actions will only cause division among the people. “If these are the type of politicians that we have, we can expect more actions from them that will further divide the people of Bacolod,” he added. By Carla N. Canet Sun.Star Bacolod
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