Dingras Vice Mayor and council presiding officer Engr. Erdio Valenzuela (seated left) and SB member Charles Tadena (standing right) discuss the purchase of additional CCTV cameras for the municipality of Dingras while other SB members listen in the discussion.
Doms Dela Cruz
By Dominic B. dela Cruz(Staff Reporter)
Dingras, Ilocos Norte—Members of the Sangguniang Bayan here approved an urgent resolution authorizing Dingras Mayor Geoffrey Saguid to negotiate with various lot owners for the purchase of lots for the expansion of the public cemetery at Brgy. Bungcag, this town.
Dingras Vice Mayor and council presiding officer Engr. Erdio Valenzuela announced that the measure was unanimously approved by all members present. SB member Joey Apostol authored the resolution but it was later manifested that it be sponsored by the committee of the whole.
Valenzuela admitted that this has been one of the problems during his time as mayor in Dingras having lack of space for the deceased. This is the main reason, the vice mayor said, the need for expansion because the existing public cemetery is almost fully occupied.
He said that the seven-hectare expansion target will be enough and will be located at the western part of the existing cemetery at Brgy. Bungcag.
However, the proposed expansion still needs a lot of negotiations between the municipal government, represented by the mayor with the help of the appraisal committee, and lot owners as to the price, to be followed by the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources requirements after its acquisition.
Valenzuela expressed hopes the process will push through immediately in order to have more space at the cemetery, saying: “aglalo ket saan met a mabalin nga mai-postpone no adda dagitay kakabsat tayo a mapanen iti sabali a biag”.
CCTV acquisition
Meanwhile, the municipal council also approved an urgent appropriation ordinance in the amount of PHP2.5 million for the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) in strategic areas here.
The amount covers only the phase 1 of the project, which includes the municipal proper, particularly at the public market; municipal hall; Catholic Church; and the entrance and exit points of the town.
Records show that the municipal government has allocated PHP75,000.00 from the Office of the Mayor-peace and order in the 2021 annual budget, however, said amount was reverted and re-appropriated in order to come up P2.5 million for its first phase.
The project aims to help the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) campaign for peace and order and at the same time help solve vehicular traffic incidents.
The Ilocos Times learned that Dingras had already purchased a CCTV system during the administration of Valenzuela but system purchased then was not in high definition.
The measure was sponsored by the committee of the whole with SB member Charles Tadena as main sponsor.