BONTOC, Mountain Province – Mayor-elect Jerome “Chagsen” Tudlong, Jr., assured sustainability of the programs of the outgoing administration of Mayor Franklin Odsey, while he will also introduce creative and innovative programs and services that are beneficial to the community.
Focusing on his battle cry “Continuing the vision for a dynamic Bontoc”, Tudlong who attended the flag-raising ceremony at the Municipal Capitol last June 13, said he will prioritize the water distribution system that will guarantee equitable distribution of water to all households, especially in the four central barangays.
He said metered water distribution system for households and establishments is also being considered, but bringing a sufficient supply of water to the end-users is the utmost priority.
New programs on the other hand, are installation of solar lights in the 16 barangays of Bontoc, procurement of first-aid equipment for the Barangay Health Stations (BHS), especially in the outskirt barangays of Bontoc.
He said more programs and projects concerning health, sustainable preservation and protection of the environment, youth development, education, senior citizens, disaster risk reduction and management, and social services will be implemented.
The incoming mayor added he will bring government services closer to the people by holding the quarterly meetings of the Municipal Peace and Order Council in the barangays. He is also planning on deploying personnel in the barangays to facilitate collection of real property tax, vaccination and immunization, technical assistance to organizations, social services programs, and among others.
Tudlong said this approach will help the constituents save time and money going to the Municipal Capitol to transact.
Tudlong added the decisions to be made by the next set of officials will always be based on the decision of the majority.
Meanwhile, outgoing Mayor Franklin Odsey assured incoming officials of smooth transition when they assume their posts on June 30.
Odsey recently met with department heads, unit heads/section chiefs, Municipal Local Government Operations Officer Lourdes Claire Peel, and a representative of incoming the incoming mayor for the creation of a Local Governance Transition Team (LGTT) to facilitate the turn-over of responsibilities, properties, records and logistics to the new officials.
In DILG Memorandum Circular 2022-029, the LGTT must ensure the safekeeping of LGU records and documents and the protection of LGU assets during the election period, and guarantee the smooth local governance transition of the new and re-elected officials on June 30.
The LGTT should also inventory LGU properties including immovable properties such as land, buildings, infrastructure facilities and their improvements, and pieces of machinery made immovable as well as movable properties such as vehicles, office equipment, furniture, fixtures, and office supply stocks.
It will also include the securing and preservation of all official documents and records of transactions particularly the Governance Assessment Report, Commission on Audit report, contracts and loan agreements, comprehensive development plan, local development investment plan, annual investment plan, comprehensive land use or physical framework plan, capability development plan, executive-legislative agenda, organizational structure, inventory of personnel by nature of appointment and executive orders.
This will also include documents covered by the Full Disclosure Policy particularly the annual budget, statement of debt service, statement of receipts and expenditures, annual procurement plan, annual gender and development accomplishment report, statement of cash flow, bid results on civil works, goods and services and consulting services, report of special education fund utilization, trust fund utilization, manpower complement, unliquidated cash advances, supplemental procurement plan, 20 percent component of the internal revenue allotment utilization and report of the local disaster risk reduction management fund utilization. – Alpine K. Malwagay
