BACOLOD City – Notwithstanding this city’s shift to Alert Level 1 or the “new normal” from Alert Level 2, the city council will continue holding its regular sessions virtually.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod’s (SP) regular session is every Wednesday.
Noting the decreasing number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases downgraded the city’s pandemic alert level for the March 1-15 period.
The SP started holding virtual sessions in August 2020 via the Zoom application.
In Memorandum No. 14-2020 issued to city councilors last Aug. 18, 2020, SP presiding officer Vice Mayor El Cid Familiran cited “the increasing cases of local transmission of COVID-19 in this city…it is best that we keep ourselves safe and healthy.”
According to Familiaran, city councilors prefer to continue their virtual sessions despite the alert level downgrading for safety reasons. The SP session hall is not well ventilated. It is enclosed by virtue of is being an air-conditioned space.
Familiaran said they sought the opinion of the Civil Service Commission regarding virtual regular sessions and the Commission has allowed them./PN
