We got a copy last Friday of an official communication from Director Rolando Acosta of the Bureau of Local Government Supervision of the Department of Interior and Local Government in Manila dated Feb. 27 addressed to City Mayor Dan Neri Lim through Vice-Mayor Nuevas T. Montes.

The letter confirmed that the 9th Sangguniang Panlungsod of Tagbilaran is a national finalist as an Outstanding Sanggunian in the Component Cities category.

Earlier, the city SP bested other component cities in Central Visayas by bagging the award in the regional level. Hence, the automatic nomination of the city council as a national finalist. The awarding ceremonies will be held next week.

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For us, the regional award and being a nationalist finalist is an achievement enough that the people of Tagbilaran must be proud of on the performance of the city council.

The recognition comes from the DILG, the highest authority in terms of local governance. No matter what would be the outcome during the awarding ceremonies, whether it lands in the first five or in the top three, the 9th city SP already won in its own right by being included in the national level.

This is perhaps one reason why the present members of the city sanggunian had been subjected to different political undertones because it has achieved recognition for its performance despite the different political affiliations of its members.

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Earlier, Vice-Mayor Nuevas Montes was cited for her performance as presiding officer of the 9th city SP by no less than the Civil Service Commission.

The lady vice-mayor bagged the regional award and earned a nomination in the national level.

Unfortunately, not every city resident could be pleased with these achievements. After all, the appreciation would depend upon which side of the bread is being buttered. Or worse, butchered.

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During the regular session of the city council last Wednesday, the Australian youth volunteer who has been in the city for a year now, presented her study on the city's underground water.

Unfortunately, we could not fully amplify her findings in today's issue. We reserved that for Wednesday.

In a nutshell, the study revealed that the water sources in the city are already in the brink of depletion.

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Also last Wednesday, the city council approved the Proposed Ordinance No. 04-07 providing for the supplemental budget of more than P24 million for the concreting of various streets, asphalt overlay and the electrical installation and construction of traffic light posts.

Part of the supplemental budget is an allocation of P4 million for the revamp of the city waterworks system which has been the object of complaints by its consumers.

The general budget of barangays Cogon, Booy, Mansasa and Dampas were also approved last Wednesday.

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