New Ex-Officio SB Members

By virtue of the recent election of officers of the Liga ng Barangay and SK Municipal Federation, we have two new Ex-Officio members in our Sangguniang Bayan.

Hon. Virgilio Baja, the Barangay Chairman of Triangulo, has began serving as SB member since our last session. He was the new President of the Liga ng Barangay of Nasipit. He replaced Hon. Alberto Bitangcor, Sr.

On the other hand, the youth will be represented beginning our next session by Hon. Nica Chung who was recently elected as SK Municipal Federation President. She will take the place of Hon. Ivan Lexter Baldomar.

Hon. Baja is also now a member of the Committee on Laws and Ordinances, while Hon. Chung will be a member of the Committee on Public Properties.

Where is the Budget

The Sangguniang Bayan has been waiting for weeks for the budget proposal of the Executive for Calendar Year 2011. Under the existing guidelines, the budget proposal should have been submitted for approval of the SB on or before October 16 (not October 15 as previously posted) but the Mayor (not the Municipal Budget Officer as previously posted) wrote a letter to the SB stating that the same shall be submitted on October 29. Until now, however, no such budget proposal has been submitted.

If no appropriation ordinance shall be passed within this month, the old budget shall be deemed reenacted until the time that the SB shall pass an appropriation ordinance for 2011.

I will not speculate on what caused the delay of the submission of the budget proposal. What I can say is that the SB will tackle the same immediately upon submission and I hope we can pass the appropriation ordinance after one or two sessions.

Edited

Barangay 5 Road Problem

Two roads in Barangay 5 are posing problems to the residents. These roads are located at the former Nalco camp. During rainy season, like this time of the year, these roads are full of waters and muds due to lack of sufficient drainage. The construction of the drainage could easily be funded by our local government but the problem is, the two roads are part and parcel of the Montinola estate and not yet public roads.

The residents went to the Sangguniang Bayan for relief, and I sponsored a resolution requesting the Montinola family to donate the road lots to the municipality so that our LGU can introduce improvements on the same without violating the rules on audit.

I hope that the donation of the roads shall be made by the Montinola family to the municipality soon in order that this problem can be addressed by our local government.

Loan

Two weeks ago, Mayor Plaza ask the Sangguniang Bayan for an authority to negotiate and sign for a loan with DBP and PNB in the amount of P120M to finance various projectts. Among the projects being proposed by the Mayor are the concreting of the Minbahandi farm to market road, the rehabilitation of the public market, the rehabilitation of Punta dike, the completion of the municipal gym, the repainting of the municipal hall, and the construction of a legislative house.

The Sangguniang Bayan deliberated on the issue and all its members expressed their apprehension on the proposal of the Mayor. In the regular session last October 21, the SB passed a resolution urging the Mayor to reconsider his plan to apply and negotiate for such loan. In the said resolution, the SB made clear its view that such loan will not be to the best interest of the municipality.

For Official Use Only

A few weeks ago, I was able to confirm that the marking "For Official Use Only" in the Ford Everest vehicle owned by LGU-Nasipit which was officially used by the Mayor was removed.

Aware of the issuance by the DILG of Memorandum Circular No. 2010-101 which requires the marking of "For Official Use Only" in all LGU-owned vehicles and as the Chairman of the Committee on Public Property of the Sangguniang Bayan, I introduced a Resolution requesting the Honorable Mayor to restore the marking in the said vehicle. The same was unanimously approved by the Council.

As of now, I have no knowledge yet of whether the marking was already restored.

SB Selim Won the Model OFW Family of the Year Award (MOFYA) of Caraga Region

The Sangguniang Bayan of Nasipit passed a resolution honoring and congratulating SB member Benjamin S. Selim, Sr. for winning the Model OFW Family of the Year Award (MOFYA)2010 for Caraga Region. He won in the land based category of MOFYA by besting eight (8) other nominees.

Hon. Selim received a trophy and a check worth P20,000.00. He will represent Caraga Region in the national level of MOFYA.

Another SB member, Hon. Leonardo Beniga, is also a previous winner of MOFYA in the Caraga Region.

Condolence

My deepest sympathy to Mayor Roscoe Democrito B. Plaza and his family on the passing of former Butuan City Mayor Democrito "Boy Daku" Plaza. I am so sorry to hear about the news.