By Greg G. Deligero
MAYOR Sara Z. Duterte reorganized last Friday the City Development Council (CDC), a special body tasked, among others, to formulate the city’s medium-term and annual public investment programs in accordance with the provisions embodied in the Local Government Code of 1991.
Aside from the 182 barangay captains, members of the council include the representatives of non-governmental organizations operating in the city, who shall constitute not less than one fourth of the members of the fully organized council as mandated in code.
A highlight of CDC’s general assembly last Friday was the election of committee chairpersons who shall constitute the council’s executive committee together with the following who are indicated in the law as automatic execom members: the City Mayor or her alternate, the City Administrator, the chair of the City Council Committee on Finance, Ways and Means and the president of the Association of Barangay Captains.
Barangay 28-A Captain Margie Corral was elected as chair of the social sector committee with Fr. Emmanuel Cifra of the San Lorenzo Foundation as the vice chair. Barangay Hizon Captain Ralph Abella was elected as chair of the environment sector committee with Lia Esquillio of the non-government IDIS as the vice chair.
Elected as chair the infrastructure committee is Barangay 3-A Captain Eduardo P. Tombo with Sanerio P. Navarro of the Gawasnong Pagbalay Inc. as the vice chair. Elected as chair of the economic sector committee was Barangay Mintal Captain Ramon Bargamento with Inorisa Elenito of the Mindanao Migrant Center for Empowering Actions, Inc. as the vice chair.
The non-government organizations elected Lyda Canson of the Bathaluman Crisis Center as their representative to the executive committee.
Aside from formulating the investment programs, the CDC is tasked to appraise and prioritize socio-economic development programs and projects; formulate local investment incentives to promote inflow and direction of private investment capital; coordinate, monitor and evaluate the implementation of development programs and projects; and assist the local legislative body in setting the direction of economic and social development and in coordinating development efforts within the city.
When the CDC is not in session, the executive committee is tasked to ensure that all decisions of the council are faithfully carried out and implemented and formulate policies, plans and programs, based on the general principles laid down by the council.
