Prompted by “dear Marina mall” letter: City dad wants fund drive rules

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Councilor Alvin Dizon is pushing for the early passage of his proposed ordinance establishing guidelines for all donation drives initiated by the city government.

He said there are upcoming events and activities like Christmas parties, Sinulog 2016, among others, that “solicitation” campaigns or any donation drives might be needed to fund such events.

“There must be full transparency and accountability para sa trust and confidence sa atong mga tao sa City Government,” he said.

Dizon said he was planning to submit his draft measure on February 2016 yet, if not for a “solicitation” issue that came up last week.

“Early next year pa unta, but because ni gawas ang ‘Dear Marina Mall’, naaghat ko nga ipapasar para naa gyuy clear guidelines ang bisa’g unsa nga donation drives initiated by the city,” he said, adding that he already submitted the proposed measure for this week’s final deliberation.

Media reports came out last week that a Zubuchon branch in Escario Street, Cebu City reportedly complained after receiving a solicitation letter addressed to a certain “Marina Mall”, which is a name of a mall in Lapu-Lapu City.

The letter was for the “Pasko sa Uptown: Children Grand Christmas party” spearheaded by the Office of the Mayor under the Cebu Progressive Uptown Movement.

Dizon said that to avoid a similar situation , the city should have clear guidelines governing its solicitation or donation drives.

“This is not only for the present administration but also sa mga umaabot nga mga administration para pud guided ang city government,” he said.

Under the proposed ordinance, any donation drive initiated by the city should be done under the supervision of the city’s Department of Social Welfare Services and that it should have an approval of the mayor.

DSWS has to post at the main entrances of the city’s executive and legislative buildings a notice of intent to conduct a donation drive.

The notice has to specify the purpose, duration of the drive, intended beneficiary, mode of activities, drop off areas, and scope of the drive such as but not limited to money, food, medicines, clothing, among others.

After the donation drive, the city should open the boxes and count the content with the presence of the owner or the authorized representative of the establishment where they were placed for the issuance of a certificate specifying the amount raised or collected.

Dizon said this is to avoid an incident like that of the Piso Mo Hospital Ko fund drive of the city government for the construction of the new Cebu City Medica Center building, where establishment owners complained city representatives simply took the money from them without counting.   (FREEMAN)