TO FACILITATE TRANSFER OF P150-M

THE continued refusal of the opposition in the Dagupan Sanggunian Panlungsod prompted the Department of Health-Center for Health Development 1 to appeal anew for approval of the resolution authorizing Mayor Belen Fernandez to sign a Memorandum of Agreement with the agency for the construction of the Dagupan Maternal and Children’s Hospital so the transfer of P150 million allotted by the national government to the Department of Health-Center for Health Development 1 can be effected and start the construction.

This was the gist of the April 3 letter of DOH-CHD 1 Regional Director Paula Paz Sydiongco letter addressed to the SP members, received by the SP Secretariat on April 8, 2024.

The letter stated: “In line with the recent meetings conducted between the Department of Health-Center for Health Development Region Office 1 and HPEF-MS with the city council of Dagupan with the aim of facilitating the construction of the Dagupan Maternal and Children’s Hospital… may we request the City Council to provide the needed SP Resolution authorizing the City Mayor of Dagupan City to enter into a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Health-Center for Health Development Regional Office 1.”

According to Director Sydiongco, the resolution will facilitate the transfer of the P150-million funding from the national government to the Dagupan City government for the implementation of the project “as soon as possible”, the amount of which was allocated to Dagupan City in the 2022 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

The April 3, 2024 letter of Director Sydiongco was a follow up to her previous letter of appeal to the SP after a series of committee hearings by the seven-majority bloc since last year, attended by technical men of the DOH-CHD 1 headed by Dr. Erica Sibayan, and with Sydiongco herself on March 26.

According to Councilor Maria Lourdes Fernandez, health committee chairperson, she will present the letter for her committee’s study.

Minority Floor Leader Fernandez found the committee chairperson’s response irrational and unreasonable because the majority bloc already conducted several committee hearings on the same subject matter since last year and even came out with a “not-favorable” recommendation.

The PUNCH learned that all documents requested by the committee pertaining to the project, including those of the donated lands had all been submitted by the DOH-CHD 1.

“So, what’s there to study in a letter of appeal?” the minority leader said. (Leonardo Micua)

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments