UNDER NEW DAGUPAN SP MAJORITY

IN less than two months, from November 5 to December 23, the new majority at the Dagupan Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) recorded an unprecedented accomplishment of passing 26 ordinances and more than 100 resolutions, during six regular sessions and one special session.

City Secretary Ryan Ravanzo said records show that in the special session on December 23 alone, the council presided by Vice Mayor Bryan Kua approved one ordinance and more than 20 major resolutions.

Since the new majority composed of five councilors allied with Mayor Belen Fernandez, had the upper hand in the SP following the 60-day preventive suspension of three opposition councilors, it worked overtime to address the backlog of ordinances and resolutions that were shelved by the old majority.

It had to conduct two sessions a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) and devoted Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to committee hearings while the remaining four opposition councilors staged a walk-out in all five regular sessions and boycotted two other regular sessions and one special session.

There were six supplemental budgets passed, numbered 2 to 7, the biggest of which was Supplemental Budget No. 2 of 2024, passed on November 5, allocating P557 million for various programs and projects since 2022 and 2023.

The other major supplemental budget provided for the Special Recognition Incentive of P20,000 each to regular employees, and a separate gratuity pay of P7,000 each for job order employees and consultants of the city government in line with separate executive orders of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Also passed on November 10 was the 2025 annual budget of Dagupan in the amount of P1.6 billion, which ensured that for the first time in the new administration of Fernandez, it will no longer operate on a reenacted budget.

The mayor acknowledged the accomplishments of Vice Mayor Bryan Kua and Councilors Michael Fernandez, Jeslito Seen, Dennis Canto, Marcelino Fernandez and Bradley Benavidez.

If the Department of the Interior and Local Government will not extend the 60-day preventive suspension, Councilors Redford Erfe Mejia, Alfie Fernandez and Irene Lim-Acosta will resume their duties by early January. (Leonardo Micua)

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