St. Vincent’s Home
holds 52nd anniversary

The Daughters of Charity and the Damas de la Caridad will celebrate the 52nd foundation anniversary of St. Vincent’s Home in Bacolod City on September 19, a press release from organizers said.

The celebration that coincides with the 150th anniversary of the Presence of the Daughters of Charity in the Philippines will start with a concelebrated mass led by Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra, 9:30 a.m., at the SVH Chapel.

A series of activities on the theme “Honoring 52 Years of God’s Magnificent Providence,” has been lined up, like the fun walk with the lolos and lolas on September 16; blessing of herbal and organic gardens, Sept. 17; launching of the mother and child feeding program, Sept. 21; and a psycho-spiritual talk on “Creative Love Energy”, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 22, by Sr. Leticia Garcia, the press release also said.

The festivities will end on the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul on September 27, with a Eucharistic celebration at 10 a.m. to be celebrated by Navarra, also at the SVH Chapel.

A Triduum of Masses will be held September 24 to 26, at 5:30 p.m., with Fr. Miguel Perey as celebrant on the first day, on the theme “Igniting the Fire of Charity”; Fr. Nelson Bisco, Sept. 25, “Tending the Fire”; and Fr. Francisco Magnaye, as celebrant on the last day, on the theme “Intensifying the Fire,” the press release said.

The organizers are inviting the public to join the double celebration. Those interested may call 432-0011, the press release added.*

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School formation
activities slated

Students of 15 high schools in Bacolod and Negros Occidental will join the formation activities of the University of St. La Salle during its Lasallian Week celebration on September 17 to 20, a press release from USLS said.

A campus tour for students of the Negros Occidental High School, St. Joseph School-La Salle, Domingo Lacson NHS, Maranatha Christian College, Living Stones International School, Doña Hortencia Salas Benedicto NHS, Doña Montserrat Lopez Memorial HS, Bacolod City NHS, USLS Integrated School, University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos, La Consolacion College, Don Bosco Technical Institute, St. Mary Mazzarello School, Mansilingan Christian Academy, and St. Francis of Assisi, will also be held after the formation activities, the press release said.

Basic training in theater arts and on the Maskara Theater Ensemble of the USLS will be discussed on Sept. 17 at the Muntien Marie Auditorium; “Leadership and Team-building” by May Ann Montaño, Sept. 18 at Balay Kalinungan Conference Room A; personality development and social graces by Rowena Bañes; and “Challenging the Youth Towards Social Awareness and Environmental Stewardship” by Ann Gladys Ponteras at the Muntien Marie Auditorium, the press release also said.

The “Project Open House” will also kick off Sept. 18 and a week-long exhibit will be held at the Wester Hall ground floor that will be open to parents, alumni, and students, the press release added.*

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SP okays Paglaum
brgy ordinance

The Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod has approved on third and final reading Tuesday the amended Barangay Paglaum Ordinance and set the plebiscite on it on December 15, 2012 to determine if the residents want Paglaum to become a barangay.

The ordinance was authored by Councilor Caesar Distrito, withCouncilors Em Legaspi-Ang, Al Victor Espino, Roberto Rojas, Carlos Jose Lopez, Dindo Ramos, Homer Bais, El Cid Familiaran, Archie Baribar and Mona Dia Jardin, as co-authors.

The ordinance provides that the date for the plebiscite will be December 15, 2012, as suggested by the Commission on Elections, and with the support of the Barangay Council of Mansilingan, who had earlier passed a resolution calling for the holding of the plebiscite.

It provides that in case the “yes” votes win in the plebiscite, Paglaum will become the 62nd barangay of Bacolod, and Mayor Evelio Leonardia is mandated to organize the local government unit with the appointment of its officials, such as the barangay captain, seven barangay kagawads, Sangguniang Kabataan chairman and seven SK kagawads.

Distrito said the ball is already in the hands of the people of Barangay Mansilingan, including those of Paglaum Village, and its neighboring communities that will comprise the new barangay.

To ensure that the plebiscite will push through, the ordinance provides a P5 million budget to be appropriated for the conduct of the plebiscite, which is to be administered by COMELEC, Distrito said.

Distrito said it is only Mayor Leonardia who can say that funds are available for the conduct of the plebiscite, as the SP had already appropriated P5 million as embodied in the amended ordinance.
The areas covered by C.O. 37 series of 1987 that created Barangay Paglaum, are Esteban Guanzon, which include Hda. RGG Agri Development Corp., Hda Lopuez Realty Corp., Lolita Heights Subdivision, Land Heights and Iloilo Development Corp., National Power Corp. sub-station, Hda. Magdalena, Esteban Village Subdivision, Hda. Villarosa, Hda. (RGG) Guanzon Subd., and Hornets Game Fowl.

Alejandrino Montelibano Y Ramos which include Paglaum Village Subd.,C and C Agri. Dev. Corp. Land II,Hda. Fortaliza, Hda. P. Tanalgo, Hda. J. Quirobin, Hda. Gonzaga (Green Inc.),Hda. Nieves,Hda. Trinidad Tanalgo and Miranda, Hda. Montinola,Hda. R. Mabesa, and Hda. Patricio Martir.*CGS

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City BAC officials elected

General Services Office head Jerome Solinap and City Assessor Maphilindo Polvora were elected chairman and vice chairman of the Bacolod City Bids and Awards Committee, respectively, by members of the BAC Wednesday.

Solinap took over from City Agriculturist Goldwyn Nifras, who has been BAC chairman since 2006.

Permits and Licensing head Vicente Petierre III yesterday said Mayor Evelio Leonardia chose the members of the BAC Monday, composed of Solinap, Polvora, Gilda Lluisma, Jared Encabo and himself.

They then elected among themselves who will be the chairman and vice-chairman of BAC, he said.

Petierre said that aside from being the City Agriculturist, Nifras is also the acting City Administrator.

Nifras tendered his resignation as BAC chairman on August 28, 2012.

Meanwhile, Solinap said that, under his watch, the BAC will continue to ensure transparency in procurement process.

“We need to be transparent because we’re all accountable to the people,” he said in an interview with Bombo Radyo Bacolod yesterday.

Solinap added that the BAC will adhere to principles based onRepublic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.

Regardingthebiddingfortheprivatization ofgarbage collection,Solinapsaidhehasnotyet reviewedthedocuments because the bidding took place before he assumed office.

He said he cannot comment on the matter because they started entertaining transactions from September 12 onwards and he is still reviewing the transaction.

SolinapsaidtheBACwilleventuallyacton the transaction based on the recommendation of the Government Procurement Policy Board.

Bacolod-based firmDynamicBuildersandConstructionCo. won the bidding for the garbage collection and hauling services last May, but the BACdisqualified the firm during the post-qualification stage.

The BAC decision wasbased on theGPPB opinion, stating thatthebusiness permit ofthe construction firm does not include hauling services.

TheDynamicBuilders asked to be reinstated as the qualified contractorbut its motion for reconsideration was also denied by the BAC last month.

AfterDynamic Builders was disqualified, theBACvalidated the bid documents ofMetrowaste Solid Waste Management Corp., the second lowest bidder.

Dynamic Builders was declared having the “lowest responsive financial bid” during the bidding last May, with its bid price of P69,107,140.40 for the eight-month garbage collection and hauling services while Metrowaste offered P69,910,711.80.

Nifras then said the Technical Working Group sought a certification from the City Planning and Development Office for the classification of the land where the proposed transfer stations ofMetrowaste will be located.*CGS

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