Sagada folks press public hearing on LGU’s P150-M loan

By Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province -- Netizens here urged public hearings on the P150 million loan application of the local government with Land Bank.
    The loan was supposed to be used for construction of a five-storey municipal government building worth P75 million and P75 million for purchase of a 30-hectare lot for a total of P150 million loan from Land Bank by Sagada local government.
    The Sangguniang Bayan in resolution dated July 27, 2020 authorized Sagada Mayor James Pooten Jr. to enter into a P150 million loan from Land Bank in pursuance of the LGU’s government and proprietary operations.
    Said resolution also authorized the mayor to enter into a deed of sale or any mode of ownership transfer of a 30-hectare tax-declared private lot  at Sitio Kanipawan.
    The Sagada Reports facebook group called for consultations with affected land owners of  Kanip-aw  on securing  securing a clean title before any sale, purchase or development is done by the LGU.
    Affected lot owners have been checking on their lots at Kanip-aw since survey of the projected lot for sale had been undertaken.
    The group also urged public consultations on development projects planned at Kanip-aw like an eco-park, recreation center and a vegetable processing facility.
    Said lot will be used to accommodate government programs including agricultural demo farm, animal breeding and production areas, materials recovery facility, sanitary land fill, nursery and housing.
    The LGU here has limited space located in the middle of the town that locates a municipal town hall, an old munisipyo, market building and offices on the top floor, police station and rural health clinic.
    A subsequent resolution from the SB recommended development features namely construction of a water system, road access, helipad, legislative building, youth center, centralized terminal center, motor pool, sports complex, cultural center, materials recovery facility and livelihood training center on proposed lot for purchase.
Netizens asked how the P150 million loan would be paid  
    Others called for a water system as more of a priority.
    Sagada currently has clustered water systems where each water spring caters to at least 5 to 20 households who alternately make use of the water.
    While waters are abundant during the rainy season, waters are a scarce during summer beginning January till rains start again by May.
    The LGU entered into a P36 million domestic and irrigation waterworks project  with the Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resource Management  Project (CHARMP)  in 2012 with P18 million fund from then Senator Teofisto Guingona and an additional P18 million from CHARMP.
    The waterworks remained non-serviceable with no waters having reached Sagada’s main town since then.
    While this was so, the Sangguniang Bayan  adapted a resolution "Adapting the NCIP national advisory 001--08-2020  to stop, prohibit and report any transaction, dealing, negotiation of selling and transfer of lands within the ancestral domains of Sagada.”