No supplemental budget, no funds for city’s athletes
THE athletes of Dagupan City are joining other sectors in the city who are made to suffer the brunt created by the refusal of the majority in the Sangguniang Panlungsod to act and approve the proposed Supplemental Annual Investment Program (AIM) and the proposed Supplemental Budget No. 1 of year 2022 certified as urgent by Mayor Belen Fernandez.
Finnela Sim, vice chairperson of the Dagupan City Sports Commission, said members of the Balon Dagupan Swimming Club are still unable to train at the city’s public swimming pool because no funds were provided for the facility’s maintenance by past Lim administration.
The proposed Supplemental Budget No. 1 that remains pending at the budget, finance and appropriations committee headed by Councilor Red Erfe-Mejia, whose members belong to the majority, has allocated P2 million for the refurbishment of the Dagupan City Pool Site.
According to Sim, the members of the swimming team are competing in the Batang Pinoy National Championships in Vigan City on December 17 to 21 this year while two other swimmers of the team will leave for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from December 17-19 to compete in the 44th SEA Age Group Swimming Championships.
Because of the city council’s inaction, there are no city funds that can be tapped to bankroll the expenses of the athletes for their food and accommodations.
Sim said she had expressed hope that the city’s sports program development could be restored after Mayor Brian Lim’s administration set aside the sports development program.
During the past administration of Mayor Belen Fernandez, Dagupan scored the historic feat of becoming a Back-to-Back Champion in 2018 and 2019 in the Region 1 Athletic Association (R1AA) meet.
Fernandez created the DCSC with the help of the Dagupan City Athletic Association, Department of Education and Philippine Sports Commission, to give sports development program and physical fitness the priority it needs for the city’s youth. (Leonardo Micua)
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