Airport safety Ordinance

The City Council finally approved yesterday in third and final reading the Airport Safety Ordinance which I authored.

Oct 2 Session

I voted for the approval of 52 items under first reading yesterday and the legislative authority for the privatization of the Buhangin Public Market on third reading.

Thereafter, I again presided the session. Acting vice mayor Mabel Acosta had to take her lunch break.

Approved were the Shelter Code on its second reading and 14 items under suspended rules including the Resolutions on Myanmar and on Travel Advisories, which I authored but presented on the floor by councilors Leo Avila and Susabel Reta, respectively.

Travel advisories

Vice Mayor Sara Duterte suggested that we pass a Resolution regarding the travel advisories which affect the city. She said the Davao City Chamber of Commerce & Industry is likewise working to request foreign embassies to be specific with these travel warnings.

I have drafted one for the City Council's consideration tomorrow. Please click here.

Committee hearing

I will preside today in two committee hearings:

> Committee on Trade, Commerce & Industry - Request of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce for exemption from the Signage Ordinance for the Davao Trade Expo next month;

> Commitee on City-owned Real Estate Properties - Request of Barangay Catalunan Pequeno for the use of a 200 sq. meters lot for its Barangay Enterprise Center (I am the vice chair of the Committee and was asked by our chair, Councilor Vic Advincula, to preside)

Sept 25

Vice Mayor Sara Duterte was at City Hall as acting city mayor and our speaker pro-tempore Councilor Mabel Acosta had to leave for a conference in Dumaguete, so I was asked again to preside over our session yesterday.

Debated were several provisions of the proposed Shelter Code, the privatization of the Buhangin Public Market and the request for re-classification by Robinsons Land. The latter was the only item which called for the division of the house; with an 8-3 vote, the motion was lost. Read the blogger's accounts of this particular issue at Istambay sa Mindanaw and Alleba Politics

Other items discussed were under suspended rules, among which were: 34 barangay supplemental budgets; exemption of Medco from the signages Ordinance for the BIMP-EAGA conference; and various commendations.

Sept 18 Votes

Approved on First Reading in yesterday's session were my items on the request of the Chamber for exemption from the signage Ordinance for the Davao Trade Expo 07 next month, and the petition of the DACHEA on some problems besetting our employees union.

I voted for two measures granting the zoning reclassification of two urban poor housing projects.

I also partly presided over the session during the debate on the Shelter Code and discussion of items under suspended rules. Vice Mayor Sara Duterte was at City Hall as OIC Mayor, while Councilor Mabel Acosta, our acting presiding officer, had to rush to be by the bedside of his father at a local hospital.

Approved under my watch were 19 Barangay Supplemental Budgets, commendations for Sunstar, Pagcor's free medical clinic and MAJI's seminar on culture; and calls to stop the distribution of tainted toys from China.

Legislative Agenda

Priority Legislative Agenda of the 15th City Council

Economic Development

1. Enactment of the Tourism Code of Davao City

2. Enhancing agricultural growth through sustainable agriculture

3. Updating of the Investment Code to include ICT

Environment

1. Enactment of the Environment Code of Davao City

2. Enactment of the Fisheries Code of Davao City

3. Adoption of a Sewerage System for Davao City

Finance

1. Updating of local measures on taxes, fees & charges

2. Providing for more benefits to city employees

Infra & Urban Planning

1. Updating the Comprehensive Development Plan &

Zonification Ordinance of Davao City

2. Creation of the Davao City Zoo

3. Patubig sa Barangay Potable Water System

Peace & Public Safety

1. Proper Use of Streets Ordinance of Davao City

2. Ordinance on the Control of Volume on Karaoke

Public Administration

1. Establishment of new city facilities/institutions

a. City College (Tech/Voc, Aggie, Arts & Culture)

b. Overland Transport Terminal

c. City Hospital

2. Public Safety Department

3. Davao City Sports Commission

Social Services & Development

1. Comprehensive Health Care System of Davao City

2. Enhancement Legislation & Programs for Women and

Children

3. Enactment of the Older Persons' Welfare Code of Davao City

4. Enactment of the Food Safety Code of Davao City

Sept 3 Votes

I sponsored one item for 3rd and final reading yesterday on the Deed of Donation for the lots for open spaces and roads at the Yniguez Subdivision in Maa.

I also voted for the following measures:

Accreditation of the Sotoda Transport Cooperative; Agdao Multipurpose Cooperative; and Sasa Bolinao Fisherfolks Multipurpose Cooperative.

The Supplemental Budgets of over two dozen Barangays.

And the inclusion of the Pantat Festival at Los Amigos in our calendar of tourism activities.

August 28 Votes

At yesterday's session, I delivered a privilege speech on the sudden increase in airport terminal fees. I also authored two Resolutions, seeking the suspension of the increase in airport terminal fees, and the devolution of land transportation franchising to local governments.

In the absence of the chair of the Committee on Housing, I was asked to present six committee reports - three miscellaneous sales applications, two special use permits for cemeteries, and a deed of donation for a subdivision open spaces and road lots. I sponsored six Resolutions and one Ordinance for these committee reports.

New Resolutions

Our latest proposed Resolutions are now up at our wikislation:

Devolving land transportation franchising to LGUs, and

Public market reform program.

Please send in your comments and ideas. Thanks a lot!

Airport Safety Ordinance

Our proposed Davao (Bangoy) International Airport Safety Ordinance, which is now the subject of public hearings by the Committee on Energy, Transportation & Communication, is now up at our wikislation.

Share your thoughts and contribute to its final crafting.

August 21 Votes

There is little in our agenda today.

I voted for the Resolution to grant the Development Permit for the A. Pizzaro Village Homeowners Association socialized housing project located at Barangay Panacan containing an area of 16,287 square meters.

I voted for the Committee Report as well as the Resolution on the Comprehensive Shelter Code of Davao City.

Discussion is still going on for the Ordinance itself.

1st Update - 10:27 a.m.
It's been 30 minutes now, veteran Councilor Vic Advincula is still interpellating the reporting chair Councilor Arnolfo Ricardo Cabling. The former sought clarification on the term "tenure security," among others provisions in the Code.

2nd Update - 11:08 a.m.
After another 30 minutes of debate, including my query on how to deal with "rural housing" in this proposed code, the item was finally deferred for the next session.

We are now under suspended rules and I just voted for budget proposals for 36 barangays.

August 14 Session

I partly presided over our City Council session yesterday. Speaker Pro-tempore Councilor Mabel Acosta actually presided our session because Vice Mayor Sara Duterte is OIC at the City Mayor's Office.

Midway in our suspended rules, Acosta asked me to preside to give her time to have her lunch break.

Thus, outside of the vice mayor and pro-temp I was the first member of the Council to preside the session of the 15th Council. I did the same feat in 2001 when I was the first neophyte to preside our session in the 13th Council.

I voted yesterday in favor the 3rd and final reading of Supplemental Budget No. 1; the approval of the Development Permit of RDL Staff Housing Project; and a few items under suspended rules.

Also approved yesterday was my Resolution re opening of the Chinese consulate in the city.

Agenda for August 14

The City Council agenda tomorrow includes 58 items under 1st Reading, 1 item under 3rd and final Reading (Supplemental Budget No. 1), and 5 items under 2nd Reading. The latter all coming from the Committee on Housing, Rural & Urban Development.

Re-opening of the Chinese consulate

I have rewritten my Resolution seeking the re-opening of the Chinese consulate in Davao City. It is now in my wiki with two comments. Please send in yours.

I hope to present it at the City Council on August 14.

My August 7 Votes

In addition to the two measures that I sponsored namely, opposition to increases in government fees and anti-illegal recruitment campaign, here are my other votes yesterday:

Approval of Items under First Reading (Nos. 143 – 217);

Approval of the Resolution/Ordinance on Supplemental Budget No. 1 for Calendar Year 2007 in the amount of P424 Million

Approval of PALC of San Vicente Homeowners Association for its housing project located at Sitio Mohon, Barangay Langub with an area of 13,688 square meters;

Approval of the Resolution/Ordinance for the temporary closure of certain roads for the Kadayawan Festival;

Approval of Resolution for the conduct of a comprehensive study on the health situation of the city;

Approval of the Resolution to request fund support from Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri for the construction of an overpass at the Carlos P. Garcia Highway in front of La Verna Subdivision;

Approval of the Resolution for a MOA with the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the establishment of an ecological solid waste management system;

Be my co-author

Our wiki is now up and running!

You can be a legislator yourself or be my co-author by using this wikislation. Check out our sidebar.

I have initially posted three Resolutions you can comment on or enhance by amending it ahead of my colleagues at the City Council. Yup, this is what I call citizens' participation.

If blogging has created citizen-journalists, wikislation will create citizen-legislators!

Local health care system

The City Council will resume its session on Tuesday after a break last week.

For the first time in the 15th City Council, we will hear various committee reports (6 are calendared for 2nd Reading). Among the items up for discussion is the Supplemental Budget No. 1.

Vice Mayor Sara Duterte has called for a caucus tomorrow lunch to discuss the measure prior to the session.

Listed under 1st Reading for Tuesday is my proposal for a Comprehensive Local Health Care System in Davao City, which will be referred to the Committee on Health.

I also plan to present my proposal to intensify the anti-illegal recruitment campaign via a MOA with POEA.

If time permits, I will likewise present a proposal for the re-districting of the whole country's congressional districts after the on-going 2007 census of population.

Hearing on airport safety ordinance

The Committee on Energy, Transportation & Communication will conduct a committee hearing on my proposed Davao (Bangoy) International Airport Safety Ordinance on August 8 at 9 a.m. at Fuschia Room, 3rd Floor of the City Council.

The ordinance is largely an updating of the 1949 ordinance that bans the flying of kites, etc. at the vicinity of the airport. My proposal now includes regulations for dove raising, use of remote-controlled planes, among others, to keep the airport and its users - planes and passengers - from harm.

Send in your comments to the City Council. The Davao City Chamber of Commerce & Industry is among those supporting this ordinance. It passed a resolution to this effect in last week's Davao City Business Conference.

New proposals

Here are some of the new proposals I am currently working on for the City Council:

1. Public markets reform program to transform these into clean, tourist attractions;
2. Creation of the Davao City Green Army to marshall the whole citizenry to protect the environment;
3. Local health care system; and
4. Food safety Code

Please send your ideas and comments on these subjects.

Illegal recruitment

The City Legal Office has given its thumbs up July 20 to the proposed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the city government and the Philippine Overseas Workers Administration (POEA) to intensify the anti-illegal recruitment campaign in the city.

The legal opinion said the MOA is "free from any legal infirmity."

I can now sponsor the measure in our next session on August 7. There would be no session on July 31.

If approved, the city would become the first LGU outside Metro Manila to forge the same pact with the POEA. Davao City is tagged as one of the leading recruitment areas in the country and also considered as a key human trafficking centers in southern Philippines.

POEA Mindanao Center chief Francis Domingo has been working hard to make the city safe for aspiring overseas workers.

Three years ago, I also sponsored an Ordinance requiring non-Davao City-based recruitment agencies to register with the city government. This way, we are able to track their activities and their recruits. Yet, illegal recruitment remains rampant.

Sometime five years ago, I also sponsored a Resolution urging the POEA to assign one of its Deputy Administrators to be based in Davao City. I remember Presidential Assistant for Mindanao and now head of the Peace Process, Secretary Jesus Dureza, endorsing the measure. Perhaps, the POEA needs to revisit this proposal and promote Domingo as full time Deputy Administrator.

July 24 Votes

In addition to the two Resolutions which I sponsored on the floor, I voted yes to the following measures:

1. Approval of Supplemental Budget No. 1 as item under 1st reading (Councilor Militar);
2. Request to the DOTC to suspend the implementation of a new vehicle insurance system (Councilor Braga);
3. Request to TESDA to provide training programs to persons with disabilities (PWD) (Councilor Monteverde);
4. Budgets of 23 barangays (Councilor Manding)
5. Request for the extension of the voter registration for members of the SK (Councilor Dayap)

Ban beauty contests?

One interesting, nay controversial, item in today's 1st reading is the proposal of Councilor Angela Librado-Trinidad, chair of the Committee on Women, Children & Family Relations, "Prohibiting the holding of beauty contests in Davao City."

Regulate yes, but "prohibit?"

Hmm. I don't think I'm ready to support this measure.

July 24 Session

I have four items for today.

Up for 1st reading are:

Request for reconsideration from Smart re payment of local taxes which became the basis for the rejection of building permits for their proposed cell sites; and

Legislative authorization for the use of a city-owned lot for the site of the Barangay Business Center at Catalunan Pequeno.

Under suspended rules today, I intend to present two Resolutions:

To support the campaign to promote banana chips as snack food for children instead of "junk food;" and

To extend the City Council's greetings to the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) on its 93rd founding anniversary.

Shelter Code

The Housing Committee chair Councilor Arnolfo Ricardo Cabling has re-filed the Shelter Code and is now docketed as Item No. 146 in our agenda for the July 24 session.

Mayor Rodrigo Duterte vetoed the ordinance which was approved during the closing weeks of the previous City Council. Cabling said the questionable provisions in the veto were mere technicalities and did not substantially question the key features of the Code.

In last Tuesday's session, a long debate ensued over the veto of the mayor. Cabling presented it either for acceptance or rejection by the legislative body. The City Council eventually voted for its "deferment." Meaning it would be taken up at a later date.

I was the lone dissenter. I voted against deferment. I believe the City Council could have acted immediately to accept the veto and then re-file the same measure with all the needed corrections.

Now, Cabling has re-filed the Code in its original form. But what about the veto?

Vote tracker

Starting in our next City Council session, I will post my stand/votes on major issues/resolutions/ordinances during our deliberations.

This way, I and the people of Davao, particularly my constituents in the First District, would be able to track my positions and legislative stands on matters at the local legislative body.

I am doing this blog in the hope that others would follow to help promote local participatory governance, transparency and accountability.

Comments are most welcome.