BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Four senior board members got three committee chairmanships each, as the Negros Occidental Sangguniang Panlalawigan gave presiding officer, Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer, the blanket authority to appoint chairpersons for 30 standing committees.
Board Member Andrew Montelibano (3rd district, Negros Occ) was appointed as chairperson of the committees on Food and Agriculture, Environmental Protection and Games and Amusement;
Another 3rd district board member, Manuel Frederick Ko, got the committee chairmanships of Energy, Public Utilities and Transportation as well as Human Resource and Public Works, Housing and Land Use;
Board Member Juvy Pepello, who represents the Association of Barangay Captains in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, was designated by Ferrer as chairperson of the committees on Good Government, Senior Citizens as well as Barangay Affairs;
Board Member Valentino Miguel Alonso (6th district, Negros Occ) is chairman of the committees on History, Arts and Culture, Trade Industry and Commerce, as well as Investments and Promotions;
Board Member Sixto Guanzon Jr. (2nd district, Negros Occ) is chairperson of the committees on Oversight, Laws, Rules and Ordinances; as well as Internal Ethics;
Board Member Jeffrey Tubola (6th district, Negros Occ) is chairman of the committees on Cooperatives, as well as Labor and Employment;
Board Member Rommel Debulgado (1st district, Negros Occ) retained the chairmanship of Budget, Finance, Ways and Means; with an additional chairmanship of the Committee on Internal Relations;
Board Member Araceli Somosa (1st district, Negros Occ) was designated as chairperson of the committees on Health and Social Services, and Tourism;
Board Member Rita Angela Gatuslao (5th district, Negros Occ) is chairperson of the committees on Education, Women, Children and Family Welfare;
Board Member Pocholo Yuvienco, who also represents the Sagguniang Kabataan provincial federation in the SAP, retained his committee chairmanship on Youth and Sports Development, as well as Government Assets;
Board Member Jose Benito Alonso (4th district, Negros Occ) retained the chairmanship of the committee on Peace and Order, while Board Member Ryan Gamboa, who represents the Philippine Councilor’s League in the SP, got the chairmanship of the committee on Information and Communications Technology.
Board Member Samson Mirhan (2nd district, Negros Occ) also retained the committee chairmanship on Disaster Preparedness;
Neophyte board members Anthony Dennis Occeno got the Human Rights committee chairmanship, while Andrew Martin Torres was given the task of heading the committee on Government Enterprise and Privatization by Ferrer.
During the inaugural session, where Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson also gave his inaugural address, the SP also approved the reappointments of Atty. Rayfrando Diaz as the Provincial Administrator and Atty. Alberto Nellas Jr. as the Provincial Legal Officer.
Each of them will be receiving a salary of P111,742 per month.*
