NEDA OKs Tri-City Ferry Service across Lingayen Gulf
DESPITE DAGUPAN SP MAJORITY RESISTANCE
THE National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) officially gave the green light for the Tri-City Ferry System that will finally link Dagupan, Alaminos and San Fernando cities across the Lingayen Gulf to proceed with its implementation.
This was revealed by Mayor Belen Fernandez in her State of the City Address (SOCA) on Wednesday and confirmed that with NEDA approval, the Tri-City Ferry System can be implemented without any resolution from the Sanggunian Panlungsod endorsing it as a national government project.
Architect Emmanuel Palaganas of the City Planning and Development Office, coordinating the project for Dagupan City, earlier reported the city councils of Alaminos City and San Fernando already complied and passed their respected resolutions in 2023 except Dagupan City.
The mayor said the passage of the resolution initially suffered a snag in January 2023 because of the provision in the Local Government Code that no other matters can be taken up in the Sanggunian until the annual budget is passed. The 2023 budget was not approved until September 2023.
She said the seven councilors in the -majority refused to pass the resolution despite the submission of a study by the planning offices of the three cities and even questioned the approved 2023 annual budget in court.
Fernandez sought the revival of the project initiated by late Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr., in 2023 that the previous Lim administration ignored.
The minority in the city council tried to have the resolution passed at the end of 2023 in keeping with the timeline given by the Tri-City Secretariat in Manila but majority councilors boycotted the regular session and in special session called by Mayor Fernandez for the purpose of passing Supplemental Budget No. 1-2023 that included the passage of the resolution endorsing the Tri-City Ferry project.
The SP majority refused to pass the resolution even after they belatedly passed the 2024 annual budget sometime in March 2024.
Fernandez said the Tri-City Ferry will be a boon to the people of Dagupan City because it will provide an added convenience to travel to and fro cities of Alaminos and San Fernando and further enhance Dagupan’s role as a major trade and commercial center of the Ilocos Region. (Leonardo Micua)
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