MBTF signs MOA for Mother and Child Hospital with DOH
SP BYPASSED FOR DELAYING TACTICS
DAGUPAN City Mayor Belen Fernandez and the Department of Health decided to bypass the authority of the Sangguniang Panlungsod and signed the memorandum of agreement for the construction of a P150 million Mother and Child Hospital in Dagupan to beat the December 31 2023 deadline for its implementation.
Assisted by her lawyers, Mayor Fernandez signed the MOA with the Department of Health Regional Director Paula Paz Sydiongco at the Dagupan City Hall at 5:00 p.m. on December 20, ahead of the SP resolution authorizing her to do so.
The decision to bypass was reached after the members of the majority bloc boycotted the December 19 regular session when the DOH officials and city officials were scheduled to respond to the issues raised by the committee on health chaired by Councilor Marilou Fernandez.
The MOA was prepared by the DOH regional office and reviewed by the Dagupan City legal office.
The signing was witnessed by DOH’s Dr. Veronica Guadiz-De Guzman, and Dr. Amado Zarate, City Legal Officer Aurora Valle, Atty. Froilan Fermill and Councilor Marcelino Fernandez.
Also signed by the two officials were engineering plans and building perspective of the proposed MCH prepared by the City Engineer’s Office, in coordination with architects and engineers of DOH.
However, Mayor Fernandez said she will call for a special session of the SP mainly for the purpose of passing a resolution affirming her authority to sign the MOA with the DOH.
She is confident that the majority in the city council will approve the measure since all the requirements that the committee demanded have been met for the benefit of all Dagupeños, particularly indigents.
Director Sydiongco told newsmen that the P150 million fund allocated for the construction of the MCH was provided in the General Appropriations Act. The fund, she said, will be downloaded to LGU Dagupan as soon as the contractor that will build the project is selected in a public bidding.
The MCH will be operated by Dagupan City government using the additional funds allocated to the city from its share on all taxes under the Mandanas ruling of the Supreme Court. It will be built on a 2,000 square meter lot along De Venecia Highway already donated to the DOH by Kerwin Fernandez, brother of Mayor Fernandez. (Leonardo Micua)
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