LT VICE MAYOR AWINGAN, COUNCIL HIGHLIGHT LEGISLATIVE WORKS

December 17, 2022 Provincial

P643.553-Million ’23 municipal annual budget approved

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet

Vice Mayor Roderick Awingan together with the members of the Sangguniang Bayan of this capital town on Monday (Dec. 12) highlighted its 4th Legislative Awareness celebration by presenting their
respective accomplishments, plans and legislative agenda. In his State of the Sangguniang Bayan Address, Vice Mayor Awingan said that the council’s thrust is the codification of all ordinances
and resolutions to serve their constituents and the public as a whole, along side with legislative-executive agenda addressing the general welfare of their constituents and other stakeholders, among others.

Awingan described its working relationship good with the executive headed by Mayor Romeo Salda, emphasing the council’s mission to provide legislations for adequate, dedicated and responsive public service. In the press forum, Awingan stressed that recovery plans were already in
placed even during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, pointing all programs and mitigation measures are being implemented in full gear.

Awingan pointed that almost all sectors are operating in “full capacity” as in pre-prepandemic
period, except those businesses which have limited hours of operations following health protocol since the Province of Benguet still under Level 2. Councilor Francis Lee, Chairman on Finance, Budget and Appropriations appeared to be optimistic despite the decrease of its annual budget
by P71-Million.

“Let’s not worry, we will sustain our growth and development,” said Lee even as he encouraged locals to go into cooperatives On the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Post, the main source of local revenue , Councilor Bartolome Baldas,Jr. indicated that in “due time” operation of the facility especially in the issue of accreditation will be threshed out.

Con.Baldas now head of the Committee on Public Markets and Local Enterprise, acknowledged the
previous works of Con. John Botiwey especially the ordinance regarding trading post. Based on government record (Mun. Treasurer ’s Office) , end of third quarter (2022) the facility’s economic
enterprise has generated P49.046 -M as against the P40- M posted in the same period (2021). The trading post collected a total of P51-M in 2021 despite the pandemic crisis. On Agriculture- the “ heart and soul” of their town’s economic growth, says Councilor Botiwey, likewise emphasized that development must conform to local land use plan act which serve as a “protection” for the utilization of lands.

To sustain their vegetable industry, Botiwey added that he authored a proposed ordinance, providing soft loan to marginal farmers to adopt to modern way of production and address climate change. Councilor Jayson Dangwa, Chairman of Trade and Industry, Labor and Livelihood, committed to enhance local investment to generate employment. Dangwa added that he will
address zoning issues whom he confided that there are “lots of issues” especially Road- Right-of-Way (ROW) in housing and subdivision development.

Recognizing the vital role of indigenous people in development, Councilor Pendon Thompson reported that some 300 hectares of ancestral land which has been the subject of a long struggle
have been acquired coupled with fund support amounting to almost P11-Million. The legislative awareness program was embodied through a municipal ordinance.

Primo Agatep/ABN