DAGUPAN Mayor Belen Fernandez put her foot down on the ordinance enacted by the seven majority councilors for the establishment of Primary Health Centers or Clinics within the premises of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), a national agency, with an annual allocation of P450,000 from the local budget.

“Given the existing financial assistance and resources already allocated to the BJMP, I believe that the establishment of Primary Health Care Centers within the jail facilities would result in an unnecessary burden on the City’s budget considering that this could be very well funded by the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior and Local Government,” Fernandez said in her veto letter to the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) dated August 9.

Ordinance No. 2289-2024 sets a P300,000 yearly fund for the primary clinic at the BJMP’s male dormitory and P150,000 at the female dormitory.

The mayor said the city is already giving an allowance to BJMP personnel, at P500 monthly this year, and could increase to P800 by next year. In addition, the city is providing a rice subsidy worth a combined P200,000 to the two BJMP dormitories plus P30,000 for fuel, oil and lubricants.

The mayor called on the SP to consider other avenues that could further improve the services within the BJMP without duplicating efforts or straining the city’s financial resources. (Leonardo Micua)

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