Treñas: No more Christmas party for City Hall employees
City Mayor Jerry Treñas has decided to cancel the Christmas party of City Hall employees at the Iloilo Grand Hotel because of the negative publicity it created to his administration.
Irritated by the adverse reaction of some sectors for allocating P.5 million for the Christmas party, Treñas said that they will no longer hold joint Chrismas party. Instead, each department will have their own Christmas party.
When asked where the P500,000 allocated in Supplemental Budget No. 5 will go, Treñas told a lady radio reporter that the money will be given to her.
The issue over the P500,000 allocation for the City Hall Christmas party was taken up by several radio stations and some newspapers.
Different sectors disagreed with the budget allocation made by the mayor's office for the Christmas party. The allocation is bigger compared to the city's important projects and services.
Earlier, the mayor's office have already made arrangements with the management of the Iloilo Grand Hotel to become the venue of the Christmas party which was set on December 15. No bidding took place for the hotels or caterers for the Christmas party. It was an outright decision to hold the party at the Iloilo Grand Hotel.
Records at the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the city hall showed that the amount intended for the bidding for the Christmas party is only P350,000. The remaining P150,000 will be allocated to buy door prizes.
Meanwhile, Majority Floor Leader Eduardo Peñaredondo said this is a democratic country and everyone is entitled to change his position over certain issues. He said the city government finding valid reasons on the comments of the Ilonggos changed their stand over the Christmas party issue particularly it involves government money.
The P500,000 allocation will revert to the General Fund next year if no amount will be taken or spent out of the allocation, said Peñaredondo.