Laoag dads wants relocation of their office

Laoag Vice Mayor and council presiding officer Vicentito Lazo speaks during an outreach regular session at Barangay 38-B Mangato, this city on March 11, 2020. (Doms dela Cruz)

By Dominic B. dela Cruz

Staff Reporter

Laoag City—Members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod here proposed the relocation of their office from the City Hall old building to the ABC building at Brgy. 2, this city.

During their last outreach session at Brgy. 38-B Mangato, Laoag Vice Mayor and council presiding officer Vicentito M. Lazo announced the proposal during the “Chairman’s Time”. 

In an interview, Mr. Lazo admitted that they did not notice that the SP session hall’s ceiling’s materials have started falling.

During an inspection, the City Engineering Office said there is a PHP1.5 million fund available for the rehabilitation of the said session hall.

Aside from the PHP1.5 million, Mr. Lazo also learned that there is another PHP1 million fund surplus for the purchase of motor vehicle under the SPs capital outlay, which he said they may possibly use in rehabilitation of the ABC building.

Councilors in other local government units in the province have their own legislative buildings.

With this, the Laoag council members, headed by Mr. Lazo decided to transfer their office and session hall to the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) Building.

Earlier, Mr. Lazo said Laoag mayor Michael M. Keon, along with some Laoag councilors visited the said building and initially they said there is a need expert engineers and architects to evaluate the building.

The evaluation would determine how much fund the city council will need for its rehabilitation, “Saan a tay bongga a legislative building nga tay laeng mabalin mi a pag-session’an ken no kasanun to iti postura dagitay op-opisina iti sanggunian secretary ken cubicles para kadagitay appo a kokonsehales,” Mr. Lazo explained.

He added that the ABC building really needs attention, “Ta tay kuna kun uray inka pasyaren ita, medyo madismaya ka diay sitwasyon a makitam. Tay building nga us-usaren iti BHW [barangay health workers] diay ground floor ti nagyan na basura”.

“In fact, if we go there, I believe that we will be shooting two birds with one stone. We are able to free office spaces in city hall, we will be able to free parking spaces and then the other advantage maasikaso didiay a property iti city government,” the vice mayor noted.  

However, he stressed that they still need to study whether they will transfer the BHW and Senior Citizens’ Offices currently at the ABC building or let them stay there.

“No ibagbaga da maawanan ti opisina iti Association of Barangay Chairpersons, the entire Sangguniang Panlungsod can accommodate all request of the different Barangays in the city of Laoag isu a saan da a madanagan a maisakripisyo dagidiay concerns da,” Mr. Lazo also emphasized.

There is also another proposal to convert the open space at the back of the ABC building into a rented events place.

Laoag ABC president and Sangguniang Panlungsod ex-officio member Mary Michelle Louise “Mikee” V. Fariñas, for her part, Mr. Lazo and her have yet to personally talk about the matter.

She then said that her concerns are the offices currently occupying the ABC building.

“Ngem kitaen tayo appo no anan to iti mapagsasaritaan. Ket no wen ken mabalin kayat ko kuma met nga adda latta met bukod nga opisina a pagnaedan iti ABC tapnu nalaklaka nga umasideg dagiti miembros iti Liga ken adda latta papanan da a pagtarayan maipanggep dagitay concerns da. Ngem kitaen tayo appo no anan to iti mapagsasaritaan," Ms. Fariñas noted.    

“I cannot decide on my own. Siempre appo inelektaran dak laeng a presidente da a mangi representar kanyada ket masapul ngarud a maamwan da met daytoy a planu. Iti opisina iti Liga ng mga Barangay ket saan laeng nga opisinak appo no di ket opisina iti amin a barangay officials iti siyudad iti Laoag,” Ms. Farinas added as she said she also plans to report the matter to the Liga.