FROM P1.3-T TO  P P864-B

AFTER being awarded a measly annual budget by the majority in the city council, Dagupan City Mayor Belen Fernandez knew the only way to prevent an 80% shutdown of operations at the city hall is to maximize utilization of available all plantilla positions and ask for volunteers to cover some areas.

“I may have to help and man the traffic, too,” Fernandez said as she asked private individuals who love Dagupan to volunteer and help the city government overcome its worst crisis ever

She said without consultant doctors and nurses, the city government may be forced to  shut down the Dagupan Diagnostic Center that Is offering free CT Scan, free ultra sound and free x-rays to indigent Dagupan residents.

Most of the POSOs, she said, are JOEs and EWs and will have to be laid off because the SP majority didn’t provide budget for them, whose families are dependent on their meager pay to survive.

Mabuti na lang may mga traffic street lights that we put up by me during my previous term as mayor… at least these can help keep order in the streets,”  Fernandez said.

She said the lifeguards at Tondaligan Beach who will be without pay but are urgently needed during the long holiday when tourists are expected, may not be in their posts to ensure safety among beach swimming and wading.

Then while there’s zero budget for sports in the reenacted budget because the Brian Lim administration did not anticipate that the restoration of the Region Athletic Meet. Fernandez said she anticipated this and had reserved P2million from the City School Board Fund to finance Dagupan’s participation in the R1AA meet that will be held in May in San Carlos  City.

She said she has 10 days to decide whether to approve or veto the approved P864.91-M budget as from the day she receives a copy of the ordinance.

Fernandez said she may give way to the reduced  annual budget, or veto it and just continue working on the reenacted P1.38-B budget to operate the city. And if she exercises her veto power, the majority in the SP does not have nine members to override it.

“I am weighing my option and I am consulting with different sectors to find out the best that can be done under the situation imposed by the 7 councilors,”  Fernandez said.

Calling the P864.91 million annual budget passed by the majority councilors as anti-poor, good only for an ordinary municipality, not due for an independent component city that is only one in Pangasinan and Region, Fernandez said she continues consulting with the department heads since the reduced budget did not allocate any budget for 791 job order employees and consultants assigned to their offices. (Leonardo Micua)

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments