• CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
An ordinance amending Sections 1 and 2 of City Ordinance No. 841, series of 2018, was passed by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod on first reading Wednesday.
C.O. No. 841 is “An ordinance amending Sections IX and XII of City Ordinance No. 384, series of 2005, or “An ordinance establishing the burial financial assistance program for paupers in the City of Bacolod.”
The amendatory ordinance authored by Councilor Simplicia Distrito, said C.O. 381, series of 2005, was enacted for the city government to provide burial assistance for the paupers of the city in the amount of P1,500.
The burial assistance was eventually increased to P3,500 by virtue of C.O. 841, series of 2018 to address the increase of prices and expenditures in burials, it said.
The ordinance said the pandemic and economic crisis have led to another round of increase in prices of commodities which have also relatively affected the cost of burials. It is then necessary that the burial assistance provided by the city government should be increased for the benefit of the indigent members the city, particularly those who could not even afford the same.
To be known as “Granting 5,000 burial assistance to indigent families ordinance” the ordinance amends Section 9 (Grant) of C.O No. 381, series of 2005, to read: “The beneficiary whose application has been duly approved in accordance with the provision of the ordinance can avail the Burial Assistance Program in the amount of P5,000.”
It also amended Section 12 (BFAD Fund) of C.O. 381 series of 2005 to read: “The Local Government of Bacolod City is hereby mandated to set aside a fund to be taken from the General Fund of at least P10 million annually for purposes of this ordinance.”*
