By CESAR JOLITO III
The Bacolod City Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) has called for a comprehensive inventory and valuation of all city government assets, a move seen to strengthen transparency, accountability and fiscal management in local governance.
In a resolution unanimously approved this week, the SP requested the General Services Office (GSO), through Mayor Greg Gasataya and in coordination with the Commission on Audit (COA), to conduct a full inventory, mapping and valuation of all properties owned by the city.
These include real estate, vehicles and equipment, with the consolidated report to be submitted to the SP.
The measure, authored by Councilor Caesar Distrito, chair of the Committee on Government Assets, and co-authored by Councilors Dindo Ramos and Celia Matea Flor, underscores that Bacolod needs accurate and up-to-date records of its properties.
“Proper management and accounting of government properties are vital to good governance and fiscal responsibility,” Distrito said.
“With an updated inventory, we can safeguard Bacolod’s assets, prevent misuse and identify properties that may be developed to generate revenue or public benefit,” he added.
Ramos stressed that knowing the full extent of city-owned properties is fundamental to accountability.
“This is about transparency. Bacolod must know exactly what it owns, where those assets are, and their current condition,” he said.
Flor, for her part, highlighted the developmental impact of such an effort.
“By mapping and valuing our assets, we can better plan for infrastructure, social services and economic growth,” she added.
The councilors pointed out that the absence of a consolidated inventory exposes the city to risks such as unaccounted properties, encroachment, illegal occupation, and missed revenue opportunities.
The resolution is anchored on the Local Government Code of 1991, which empowers local governments to maximize revenues through proper valuation and utilization of properties, as well as COA circulars mandating regular physical inventory and valuation of government-owned assets./CJ, WDJ