BACOLOD City – Newly elected Mayor Greg Gasataya announced the appointment of three lawyers to head vital positions in City Hall as he officially assumed office at 12 noon today.
During his inaugural speech on June 28 at the inauguration and oath-taking ceremony, Mayor Gasataya named Atty. Reuben Sabig, a regular employee assigned to the City Legal Office (CLO), as the new head of the Bacolod Traffic and Transportation Management Department (BTTMD).
Atty. Mark Mayor was appointed as the new city administrator, while City Legal Officer Atty. Joseph Karol Chiu will retain his post despite the change in administration.
The BTTMD is a newly created department under a recently passed ordinance that strengthens and restructures the former Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO). The ordinance renames BTAO to BTTMD, amends City Ordinance No. 315, and provides for the creation of plantilla positions and appropriation of necessary funds.
It was learned that the city legal officer position is co-terminus with the appointing authority. Chiu was initially appointed under the administration of outgoing Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, who is now the newly elected representative of Bacolod’s Lone District. However, Mayor Gasataya has opted to retain Chiu in his current role.
The new administration also announced the planned implementation of the “No Parking Ordinance” along Lacson and Araneta streets, which will be enforced once alternative parking areas have been identified and established.
Additionally, the city government will seek authority from the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) to conduct a traffic experiment aimed at maximizing the use of the Bacolod-Negros Economic Highway as an alternative route.
Mayor Gasataya’s first 100 days in office will focus on his administration’s core principle, “H-E-A-R-T,” which stands for:
* Health – Expansion of the Bacolod City Comprehensive Health Program (BacCHP) and continued development of the Bacolod City General Hospital, one of his key projects during his congressional term. The hospital will soon offer modern, comfortable, and decongested healthcare services.
* Education, Economy, and Environmental Sustainability
* Access to Basic Services – Including agriculture, animal welfare, technology access, and housing
* Reliability in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM)
* Traffic, Transportation, and Tourism Management
The oath of office for Mayor Gasataya was administered by Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla.
Meanwhile, Vice Mayor Claudio Jesus Puentevella took his oath before Liga ng mga Barangay President Lady Gles Pallen, while members of the SP were sworn in by Regional Trial Court Judge Juvy Dioso.
For Cong. Benitez, his oath was administered by Barangay 18 Punong Barangay Madilyn Diaz./PN
