The proposed P2 billion loan for Kabankalan City’s “flood-free” initiative has split local officials, with Mayor Benjie Miranda pushing for the project to address the city’s long-standing flooding problem, while several councilors questioned its legality and planning.
Miranda told reporters on Tuesday, August 26, that he had submitted four executive endorsements since 2023 to the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP), seeking authority to negotiate a loan with the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP). However, he claimed that the previous Sanggunian merely set the plan aside.
It was only under the new Sangunian that, on August 14, the measure was approved, with seven members voting in favor and six against.
The councilors who voted in favor were John Antolo, Rico Regalia, Macario Zafra, Jerzy Guanzon, Jose Dumaguete, Helen Ibañez, and Joestarr Bandojo.
Those who voted against were Ann Marie Zayco, Joan Cagape, Marie Vic Anacan, Jenelyn Sacadan, Ernie Libona, and Adolfo Mangao Jr.
The approval immediately raised questions on whether the resolution met the legal requirement.
Councilor Mangao argued that it failed to reach the qualified majority mandated by law.
“Majority means fifty percent plus one (50% + 1). Hence, the qualified majority shall be eight (
,” he said. Mangao cited Section 458 (2)(iii) of the Local Government Code (RA 7160), which requires the affirmative vote of a majority of all SP members for the mayor to contract loans.
Kabankalan’s SP has 14 members—10 elected councilors, the Liga ng mga Barangay president, the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation president, the Indigenous Peoples’ Mandatory Representative (IPMR), and the city vice mayor as presiding officer.
Mangao said he filed a motion for reconsideration, but Vice Mayor Divina Miranda, the mayor’s wife and presiding officer, denied it.
He stressed that he voted “no” not only because the executive department failed to present a detailed drainage master plan during sessions but also because of the unresolved question on the number of votes required to pass the measure.
“We want to make sure that people’s money will not go to waste. The people entrusted us to safeguard their funds,” he said.
Meanwhile, the mayor maintained that a simple majority is enough to pass the resolution, saying that the seven affirmative votes already constituted majority approval.
Progress billing?
The mayor clarified that the P2-billion loan is not a lump sum but a progress-billing loan, which means the city will only borrow based on the actual amount needed for each phase of the project. The loan has a 15-year term with an annual interest rate of about 4 percent, payable through the city’s 20-percent development fund.
He also revealed that two banks confirmed Kabankalan’s borrowing capacity of at least P3 billion each, more than the proposed loan.
Although he did not present the actual master plan during the interview, Miranda said that the proposal includes not only drainage construction but also the purchase of heavy equipment.
He explained that the equipment will be used during the project and later made available for barangays to conduct dredging and other flood-prevention work.
Miranda affirmed his position and assured residents that his administration will implement the plan with transparent governance, stressing that all loan proceeds and projects will be properly accounted for.
He recalled that Super Typhoon Odette in 2021 submerged the city proper and caused billions in property losses, which, he said, underscored the urgency of the project.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, contributes to Negros Daily Bulletin, and maintains a blog on Medium.