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.