THE City Council held its first regular ses-sion Monday under the new administration and with a fresh mandate. This is also the first regular session that saw the newly elected members of the city council in attendance.
The first order of business as contained in the agenda is the adoption of Resolution numbered 254, series of 2004 as amended which provides for a codified and revised internal rules of procedures for the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP).
Under the firm guidance and supervision of Vice Mayor Daniel T. Fariñas as the presiding officer, the august body after a bit of clarification aired by some of the re-elected councilors gave their consent for the adoption of the said resolution containing their internal rules which will ultimately guide them during their deliberations. After the adoption of their rules the city councilors immediately undertook the task of re-organizing the various standing committees and thru open nomination with secret balloting the following members of the council were finally selected as chairpersons of the different standing committees, to wit:
City Councilor Peter Fianza - Committee on Education, Culture and Historical Research
City Councilor Fred Bagbagen - Committee on Employment, Livelihood and Cooperatives, Handicapped and Differently-Abled Persons
City Councilor Philian Weygan - Committee on Ethics, Governmental Affairs and Personnel
City Councilor Erdolfo Balajadia - Committee on Health and Sanitation, Ecology, and Environmental Protection
City Councilor Edison Bilog - Committee on Human Rights, Justice, Public Protection and Safety, Peace and Order
City Councilor Richard Cariño - Committee on Laws
City Councilor Perlita Chan Rondez - Committee on Market, Trade and Commerce
City Councilor Nicasio Aliping - Committee on Public Utilities, Transportation and Traffic Legislation
City Councilor Nicasio Palaganas - Committee on Public Works
City Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda - Committee on Social Services, Women and Urban Poor
City Councilor Elmer Datuin - Committee on Tourism, Special Events, Parks and Playgrounds
City Councilor Isabelo Cosalan, Jr. - Committee on Urban Planning, Lands and Housing
For the standing committees on Barangay Affairs, Youth Welfare and Sports Development and Ways and Means and Finance these will still be chaired by Liga ng mga Barangay President and City Councilor Joel Alangsab, Sangguniang Kabataaan Federation Chairman and City Councilor Gloria Ysabel De Vera, and Vice Mayor Daniel T. Fariñas respectively.
As can be readily seen some of the re-elected councilors were retained in the previous committees which they chaired while some like Councilors Bagbagen, Rondez, Aliping, and Palaganas were chosen to head other committees. The members of the various standing committees were later on selected by the chairpersons with two members for each standing committee. In some cases those who failed to be chosen as chairperson of a particular committee requested that they be made a member of the same committee where they vied for chairmanship.
For the special committees, Boards and other bodies the representatives are as follows:
City Councilor Peter Fianza - City School Board
City Councilor Erdolfo Balajadia - City Health Board
City Councilor Philian Weygan - Personnel Evaluation Board
City Councilor Edison Bilog - City Peace and Order Council
City Councilor Elmer Datuin - Baguio City Tourism Council
City Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda - Sisterhood and Twinning Committee
City Councilor Perlita Chan Rondez - Baguio City Market Authority
City Councilor Isabelo Cosalan - Committee on City Land Needs Identification and Survey
Previous to this, the Vice Mayor and Presiding Officer Daniel Fariñas made the announcement that the city councilors to include the new council members had already made their choices as to their room assignments and have begun the transfer and/or refurbishment of their newly acquired offices at City Hall. It was also observed by the audience in the gallery that prior to the official start of business the presiding officer requested the city councilors to choose their new seats in the session hall with the re-elected members being given the option and preference of choice.
Finally, upon the request of City Councilor Fred Bagbagen and thru an omnibus motion the city council passed a resolution extending their sympathies and condolences to the relatives and friends of the late Bishop Francisco Claver who was the first Igorot Catholic Bishop in the country.