Thursday, January 11, 2007 Cebu City Council vies for nat’l award
CEBU City Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera, her staff and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) City Director Patricio Gabuya yesterday rushed to submit all requirements in the search for the 2006 Most Outstanding Local Legislative Body in the country.
The rest of the council members extended their “appreciation and gratitude” to Pesquera for her and the council secretariat’s efforts in accomplishing the tedious paperwork for the competition.
Hoping to make a difference in her last term, Pesquera has spent the last three months with the local DILG staff, the secretariat of the Sannguniang Panlungsod, the Management Information and Computer Services computer programmers and the information technology staff of Bee TV, in complying with requirements of the first DILG Manila-led awards.
Bee TV is a cable TV channel owned by Councilor Rodrigo Abellanosa that helped document sessions of the council in digital video clips.
Pesquera, during a privilege speech yesterday, presented to the body all the hardbound copies of the various council committee reports for 2006, the Cebu City Appropriation Ordinances, Zoning Ordinance, Local Tax Code, Disaster Management Plan, Annual Investment Plan, Comprehensive Land Use Plan, Solid Waste Management Plan, Environmental Code, Gender and Development Program, Sanitation Code, Ordinance on Poverty Diagnosis and the Children’s Code.
These documents, according to DILG Manila, are needed to show the council’s efficiency and performance, which are part of the criteria.
Backed out
The Cebu City Council was nominated as a finalist to the national search when Mandaue City, which initially vied in the regional level, backed out because they still lack the required legislative documents, Gabuya said.
Cebu City will compete against other highly urbanized and independent component cities.
Each national award winner shall receive from the Philippine Councilors’ League a trophy and cash. Each national finalist will get a plaque of commendation.
Apart from preparing the documents listed in the criteria, Pesquera also took the initiative of submitting to DILG Manila the 10th City Council’s pet projects: the legislative tracking system and the Codified Cebu City Ordinances.
“We really have a big chance of winning the title because abtik jud kaayo ang atong (of the speed and efficiency of our) legislative staff. All the council’s measures are properly documented,” said Gabuya.
“We will forward all the documents to DILG for the first annual competition. This is my last term so I hope the next time you bid for the search, then you can already do it yourself. I hope that you will be able to bag the national award,” Pesquera told her colleagues yesterday.
“On mass motion, we extend our deepest gratitude and appreciation to you and your staff for spending sleepless nights that led towards the completion of this accomplishment,” said Vice Mayor Michael Rama, who presided over the session. (GAC)
