DESPITE the busy schedule of some of the members of the City Council who are now on the campaign trail, the council resumed their regular session last Monday after a short break in observance of the Holy Week. The council acted on some of the more important issues which include the approval on second reading and for publication of a proposed ordinance granting amnesty to electric and water connections in the city of Baguio.
The City Council also scheduled a dialogue with the City Administrator’s Office, General Services Office, and the City Environment and Parks Management Office to shed light on the Administrative Order No. 19, Series of 2016 issued by Mayor Mauricio Domogan last February 24, 2016 which transfers the operation, management and supervision of the Baguio Athletic Bowl to the Office for Administration under the Sports and Recreation Division and directing the said office to define and formulate general guidelines on the use of the said sports facility in terms of its operation, management, supervision and maintenance. The said discussion is scheduled on May 16, 2016.
Meanwhile the SP also referred to the proper committee for its study and recommendation the proposed resolution filed by Councilor Peter Fianza urgently requesting the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to restore its regular financial support to thousands of kidney patients undergoing life-time hemodialysis treatment who depend on this life-line for their survival.
The PCSO recently withdrew/cancelled the said monthly fund support of Twenty Thousand pesos (P20,000) after it learned that the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) had increased its support to dialysis patients from 45 dialysis treatments to 90 treatments per year.
The said proposal also stated that the withdrawal of such regular PCSO fund support puts a dent on the government’s health support program for the poor, especially for dialysis patients who have to undergo life-time dialysis treatment of two to three sessions a week and to maintain their medicines.
The said resolution will likewise be endorsed to the administrators of Philhealth and PCSO for their attention and action for the sake of thousands of dialysis patients who depend on the mandates of these support agencies for their survival.*