New Face for a New Phase at a New Pace

Our simple and humble Municipal Hall is now on renovation. From being a 5th class Municipality, we are now a 2nd class Municipality. With that new phase for our Municipality, it is a treat for our Municipal Hall to have its improved and renewed look. Here are some pictures of the Municipal Hall as it undergo renovation:

Touch Me Not

Governor Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado of Bulacan, requested for the General Resealing (Bulacan) of the Ballot Boxes containing the ballots used during the May 10, 2010 National and Local Elections. He requested for the general resealing of the ballot boxes to protect the integrity of the ballot boxes against any attempt to tamper the result of the election. The request is effective all-over Bulacan; and it is with the decision of each Municipality to settle the date of which they will reseal their ballot boxes. The Municipality of Pandi in cooperation with the Commission on Elections and Office of the Municipal Treasurer set the event this 3rd day of August. The resealing was led by Atty. Nino Ramos. Representatives from different Political Parties (PMP, Nacionalista Party, Liberal Party, PPCRV, and Lakas-Kampi) are present as well. Atty. Ramos and the Representatives of each political parties go hand in hand on resealing the 53 ballot boxes.

On Growing Agriculture

Local farmers of Baranggay Manatal and experts on planting sit together at the building of Manatal Multi-Purpose Cooperative on this 20th day of July.

PICAT MASHAV Professional and Monitoring Mission, the nature of the dialog, highlights the Production of High-Value Vegetables. This project under the Agriculture and Agribusiness Development (AAD) is Off-season Vegetable Production for Tomato and Bitter Gourd using Israeli and Local Technology. Part of the seminar is the demonstration on yielding crops from the soil bed to the field itself, of which will be held at Baranggay Masagana, Pandi, Bulacan with the participation of 12 local farmers.

Mr. Navot Haklay, one of the guest speakers, is a (Philippines-Israel Center for Agriculture Training) PICAT Consultant Mashav Expert on planting tomatoes, bitter gourds, eggplants, onions, cucumbers, and bell peppers. His speech centralizes on the use of technology and variety, which is Israeli and Local, to produce high-value and high-quality vegetables. He even shared that farmers should not rely only in technology and variety alone but also put consideration on water management, crop protection and the use of fertilizer.

Vice Mayor Rachel Santos-Oca also took part on the seminar and expressed her gratitude to the efforts and the people behind this project. She even proposed an invitation to the guest speakers to orient their programs and projects to the leaders of our town, so as to promote and support their advocacy on Agriculture.

The project is made possible thru the efforts of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Provincial Government of Bulacan (PGB), Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO), Municipal Local Government Unit (MLGU), Bulacan Agriculture State College (BASC), and Manatal Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MMPC).

Attendees of the seminar walk home with "encouragement seed" and "hope-filled seed" planted within their hearts.

There's more and lots in store.

Growing Agriculture!

Growing Pandi!

Sangguniang Bayan Office - Municipality of Pandi

Welcome to the Sangguniang Bayan of Pandi!

entrance to the S.B. Office (before)

(at present) door to the Sangguniang Bayan Office

kind signage on the door c;

The New Session Hall
The seat at the center-top is for the Vice Mayor
who is also the Presiding Officer.

The New Session Hall
the seats are for the councilors (8),
the president of the brgy. captain (1),
and the president of the SK (1)

Inaugural and Turn-Over Ceremony 2010

The Sangguniang Bayan of Pandi marked the calendar on this 5th day of July for their Inaugural and Turn-Over Ceremony. The event took place at the time the clock hit 9:30 that morning. It was even made open to the public, in accordance to their response to transparency, at the Session Hall in the Municipal Hall of Pandi.

Witnesses for the said event varies from laymen, Day Care Workers, Representatives from different NGOs, Department Heads of the Munipality and to the previous Vice Mayors of the Municipality, namely: Mr. Roberto "Ruben" M. Rivera (vice mayor of the years 1992-1995 and 1995-1998), Atty. Anicia "Annie" C. Marquez (1998-2001), and Atty. Napoleon "Noel" C. Roxas (2001-2004)

In the absence of Vice Mayor Richard A. Roque (on his sick leave) of year 2009-2010, Mr. Roberto Rivera took the honor of passing the gavel which symbolizes the transfer power and authority to the new Presiding Officer of the Sanggunian, the newly Vice Mayor of the Municipality of Pandi -Ma. Rachel Santos-Oca, MD.

The ceremony ended at 10:30 and was immediately followed by their very first session.

Sangguniang Bayan 101

The Sangguniang Bayan is a separate unit that handles all matters concerning legislation of the municipal government in the Philippines. Its powers are defined by the Local Government Code of 1991 (Republic Act No. 7160). Just as the Mayor is in charge of the Executive arm of the local government unit, the Vice Mayor is the one in charge of its Legislative arm. The two separate units must work hand in hand for the effective administration of the municipality.

In charge with the smooth running of the Sangguniang Bayan, the Vice Mayor also acts as Presiding Officer in all sessions. The members of the Sangguning Bayan is composed of the regular members -- eight Councilors elected by the People, and two ex officio members --the President of the Liga ng mga Baranggay and the President of the Sanggunian ng mga Kabataan. The elected members serve for a three-year term and may continue to do so up to three consecutive terms, with the general elections held every three years since 1992. their term begins at noon of June 30 following election day and ends at noon of June 30 of the third year.

The legislative power is vested in the Sanggunian as a COLLEGIAL, COLLECTIVE BODY. This therefore requires participation of all its members by voting upon every question put upon the body. The Vice Mayor is compelled to vote and break the tie in the event of a deadlock among the members.

The principal function of the Sangguniang Bayan is (1) local legislation. As a power, it enact ordinances, approve resolutions, appropriate funds, and promote general welfare. As a process, it continuously interact with the local government unit's executive branch, constituents, civil society, and other actors of governance, which all lead to policy actions that promote the development of the general welfare of society. Other functions of the Sangguniang Bayan are (2) quasi-judicial in nature (LGC sec. 60-68), and (3) the power to determine and to declare a state of calamity (R.A. 8185).