MAGANES: Rosales has no municipal budget for 2012?

Last February 9, I visited the Sangguniang Bayan of Rosales to get fresh issues obtaining in the town. I was amused to know that on that session day, the SB was still to deliberate the town’s municipal budget for 2012. “Why it took that long ? “I asked Councilor Romeo Sim. He said that there were some issues in the proposed budget that have to be clarified and the various department heads seem not to cooperate.

Budget is the blood of every town. It is the basis of spending appropriations for various developmental projects particularly in the delivery of basic services to the people. When a town has no approved budget, the people will be denied of their access to services.

The Local Government Code of 1991 or Republic Act No. 7160 lodged the enactment of municipal budget ordinances to the Sangguniang Bayans. As early as October every year, the local chief executives are mandated to submit their budgets to the SB for deliberations and enactment. By the first month of ensuing year, the municipalities must already have working budgets that define the object of expenditures including that to be spent on developmental projects.

But Rosales is not alone on the dilemma of non-enactment of budget. Because of political clashes between the local chief executives and the SB members, budget enactments are at stake. In Pangasinan, Dagupan City was also late in passing its budget for 2012 because of political differences.

My point here is: Why do local legislative bodies delay the enactment of their budgets? Were they not elected to serve their constituents? Are they not there in public service to uphold the welfare of the people? What keeps them too long to pass their municipal ordinances?

All right. There maybe political differences between municipal mayors and the SB because of politics and leadership or management styles. Could they not work together, for the sake of their constituents, on issues not political in nature. And I am referring to the passing and approval of budgets.

Political issues must be sidelined first and pursue the welfare of the people. I do not know whether the municipal budget of Rosales was already passed on that day. The call time for the members of the SB for session was 9:00 in the morning. Yet, when I was there, it was already 11:00 in the morning when I saw several SB members who were around: Councilors Leonarda Dominguez, Mark Anthony Yu, Romeo Sim, Antonio Muya and Enrique Cosue. Councilor Jimlo Olegario came in later.

It’s indeed amusing how the members of the SB work. Could they not attend their sessions on time? Oh by the way, Vice Mayor Jojo Pajela, Jr. was said to have been in a medical seminar so he was also not present.
*****

There is a thin line between life and death and that I have proven to myself last February 10.

I just came from the Villasis town hall at 10:30 in the morning that day after distributing copies of this paper in various offices. When I was to cross the pedestrian lane, a Solid North bus stopped to give way for me to pass and go to the other side of the highway in front of the Legislative Building.

As I was crossing, a motorcycle that overtook the bus came on rushing and hit me. A student from the PanPacific University of the Philippines (PUNP) drove the motorcycle. It happened fast, in matter of seconds. The clutch handle of the motorcycle caught the left pocket of my pants and ripped it off down to my knees. The front wheel of the motorcycle caught my right foot that I stepped forward rendering it numb and painful.

I was surprised. I could not imagine how fast an accident is. I was totally dumbfounded. After the accident, I rushed to the Legislative Building to see the condition of my foot when friends milled around me to see my condition.

A police officer came to investigate. I was disgusted at first on the answers of the student when asked about the incident. He said that he did not know that the place was a pedestrian lane and that there were no policemen manning the traffic. It was a silly answer from a student taking up criminology. But when my senses returned, the student had points in what he said.

The lines of the pedestrian lane were no longer visible. Traffic flow should at least be given importance in that particular area since pedestrians pass through it. I am calling the attention of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to please paint the pedestrian lane in front of the Villasis town hall.

What if my body was hit? I may have landed now in a hospital as an orthopedic victim or I might have been dead if my head struck the cemented road. God indeed works wonderfully. He spared me from that accident which could be really serious.

I am now recuperating. My right foot is aching. I maybe could not walk normally for few days, but thank God the bones on my foot are intact with just traces of faint fractures (but not serious).

Sometimes, it pays to be aware what’s happening around us. Accident comes when we are not expecting them, Life, indeed, is beautiful.

(For comments, email me at emperorvirgil@yahoo.com)