Oro dads enact 93 laws in six months

By LITO RULONA,
Correspondent

THE CITY Council, headed by Vice Mayor Raineir Joaquin Uy, has enacted at least 93 ordinances and 152 resolutions during its first six months.

Aside from holding committee meetings and inspections, the 18th City Council held 22 regular sessions from July to December 2016.

In the past six months, major legislations include penal and regulatory ordinances to ensure the health and welfare of the city’s constituents. Ordinance No. 13102-2016, regulates all smoke-belching vehicles plying and traversing the territorial jurisdiction of the city  and Ordinance No. 13121-2016, prohibiting any person from selling and retailing unsafe and sub-standard petroleum products in the city using soda or plastic bottle, jugs and other similar portable containers which were authored by City Councilor Teodulfo Lao, Jr..

Strengthening the city’s socialized housing program, legislators approved Ordinance  No. 13178-2016, consolidating and amending Ordinance No. 9888-2005 and Ordinance No. 10046-2006, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Socialized Housing Program for the underprivileged and homeless citizens of Cagayan de Oro City so as to provide additional guidelines and provide penalty for any violation which was authored by City Councilor Zaldy Ocon.

Looking into the plight of calamity victims, legislators enacted Ordinance No. 13163-2017, the City Council also increased the rates of financial assistance to victims of calamities, amending Ordinance No. 7783-2001 by City Councilor Reuben Daba.

Several ordinances were also enacted for the implementation of projects and programs for the city’s poor.

Ordinance No. 13095-2016, authorizes Mayor Oscar Moreno to enter into and sign the Memorandum of Agreement with the Habitat for Humanity Philippines Foundation and the National Housing Authority for the construction of a livelihood center facility project at Bayanihan Village Phase 1 located at Sitio Macapaya in Barangay Camaman-an.

Before the end of the year, members of the 18th City Council enacted Ordinance No. 13129-2016, approving the updated safe closure and rehabilitation plan of the city controlled dumpsite located at Upper Dagong, Barangay Carmen, and Ordinance No. 13130, approving the 10-Year Solid Waste Management Plan of Cagayan de Oro for calendar year 2014 to 2024.

But members of the minority bloc in the city council claimed that these will be added to the list of “sleeping” ordinances.

Minority Floor Leader and City Councilor Leon Gan claimed there were a lot of ordinances they already passed before the previous batch of the city council but was not fully implemented by the local chief executive.

Gan cited two ordinances like prohibiting sidewalk vendors in selling along the city streets and the Traffic Code of Cagayan de Oro. He said these are just samples of the ordinances which were not fully implemented by the local chief executive office.

“Gani gina-abuse ang mga sidewalk vendors kay walay klaroha pagpatuman ang maong ordinance. Traffic Code dili klaro kay ang implementation is within Divisoria lang,” he pointed out.

He said even ordinances like solid waste management program was not fully implemented in the barangay level which were considered as the front view of such ordinance that would keep the city clean.