The Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod yesterday passed an ordinance appropriating P25.5 million for payment of the first progress billing of Hilmarc's Construction Corp. for the construction of the government center.

Those who voted in favor were Councilors Greg Gasataya, Jocelle Batapa-Sigue, Homer Bais, Dindo Ramos, Jude Thaddeus Sayson, Napoleon Cordova, Al Victor Espino, Arturo Parreño and Marx Louie de la Rosa.

Councilors Catalino Alisbo, Elmer Sy and Reynold Iledan voted against it while Councilor Lyndon Caña, who acted as presiding officer, abstained.

Caña said that although he is in favor of the government center project, he is not happy with the contract between the city and HCC, while Alisbo was concerned that a case involving the project is still pending in court. The first progress billing of P25.5 million, the first of eight trances, is a contractual obligation of the city.

The monitoring team, chaired by Secretary to the Mayor Roger Balo deliberated on the details of the HCC progress billing in April. After an ocular inspection and comprehensive quantitative analysis on the first progress billing of HCC, the team endorsed its unanimous recommendation for the approval of the billing. Ramos, a member of the monitoring team, said that the government center building is about 9.91 percent complete.

Other members of the team are Acting City Engineer Belly Aguillon, engineers Edagr Occeña, Aladino Agbones and Phoebe Panhilason, Acting City Accountant Eduardo Ravena and Acting City Treasurer Anabelle Badajos.

During the session yesterday, Caña asked if the city will still pursue the loans with Land Bank of the Philippines and the Philippine National Bank after paying HCC the 15 percent mobilization fund from its coffers.

Balo said an ordinance was passed which stipulates that the construction of the project should be funded through a loan from the bank with a maximum amount of P400 million. So the city will pursue the loan with the bank, he said.*CGS

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