SP executive session gives Mother and Child Hospital a chance
FINALLY, a glimmer of hope is seen for the P150 million Mother and Child Hospital that was ditched by the opposition last year following an executive session by the Sangguniang Panlungsod on March 26 with Department of Health Regional Director Paula Paz Sydiongco.
Director Sydiongco, her staff that included DOH Legal Officer Jordan Falcis, appeared before the SP to persuade members of the majority to finally pass the resolution authorizing Mayor Belen Fernandez to sign a Memorandum of Agreement with DOH for the construction of the MCH.
Their appearance, however was initially held back by parliamentary rules because the majority’s manifestation that there can be no motion to suspend the rules in a bid to insert a measure not calendared.
It was settled after Councilor and Minority Floor Leader Michael Fernandez brought out a copy of a letter of urgency sent to the SP by Mayor Fernandez calling on the legislative body to hear the DOH officials to discuss lengthily about the MCH.
However, instead of allowing the DOH regional director to speak before the plenary, the majority opted to hear her in a closed door executive session at the SP conference room with only the SP members and City Secretary Ryan Ravanzo in attendance.
To ensure that all matters taken up during the executive session would form part of the records of the Sanggunian, Councilor and Minority Floor Leader asked that this would be recorded and preserved by the City Secretary, there was no objection from the majority.
After more than two hours, the councilors came out from the conference room to resume their stalled plenary session at past 2:00 p.m.
Notably, all the councilors joined Sydiongco after the session was adjourned in the ocular inspection of the proposed site of the MHC along the De Venecia Expressway.
The proposed site is a 1.2 hectare lot donated by its previous owner, Kerwin Fernandez, brother of Mayor Belen Fernandez, to DOH last year.
The DOH said the site is an ideal location for the MCH because residents from the three Bonuan barangays and from the southern barangays, starting from Lucao, Malued, Lasip Chico and others, can easily access it and patients from the island barangays can reach the MCH by motorboats that can dock at the back of the facility.
Earlier, the opposition vowed to oppose the MCH if it will be located in any of the property of the family of Mayor Fernandez. (Leonardo Micua)
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