Familiaran assures independent city council

March 17, 2022 by No Comments

BACOLOD City incumbent Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran has assured constituents that the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) will remain an independent body under his leadership, and not a stamping pad of the executive.During the second edition of the Debate Serye 2022 of DYHB RMN Bacolod for vice mayoralty candidates at the Osbron Hall of Ikthus Bacolod on Wednesday, March 16, Familiaran also heralded the accomplishments of the city council from 2016 up to the present.Under his watch, he said the SP passed 6,976 resolutions and approved 276 ordinances, many of which are considered as landmark local laws.The SP was also recognized by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) as “champion in local Legislation” enroute to Bacolod winning the “Best Performing Local Government Unit – City Category in Western Visayas” in 2019.The vice mayor, who champions the “Todo Serbisyo” branding, authored 41 ordinances, 170 resolutions when he was still councilor, on top of 14 other pending ordinances in their first and second readings after completing his second term as number one councilor in 2016.This included City Ordinance 593, or the Ordinance Establishing a Comprehensive and Sustainable Development and Shelter Programs and Services for Poverty Alleviation of Informal Settlers in Bacolod.Much like the first edition of the debate that featured Leonardia and mayoralty candidate Albee Benitez, Familiaran also tackled pressing issues involving his position, including the vice mayor’s and the SP’s actions on institutionalizing social pension funds for senior citizens; immediate assistance during calamities; review of City Ordinance No. 338 or the Comprehensive Traffic Management and Regulation Ordinance; and the push to raise the salaries and benefits of traffic enforcers and police officers, among others.Familiaran is also batting to “professionalize” traffic enforcement to make their functions more effective.In his closing statement, Familiaran emphasized it will be his performance that will bolster his bid for re-election as vice mayor of Bacolod for the third and final time.He is being challenged by incumbent councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr. and former councilor Atty. Caesar Distrito.“Nana-ug kita sa dalom. Nakita sang tawo nga nag serbisyo nga may kredibilidad kag integridad [We went down to the grassroots level. The people saw our service with credibility and integrity],” Familiaran said, adding that “I went beyond my function as vice mayor.” (PR)