Before committing to a potentially significant borrowing arrangement, Dumaguete City’s legislative body is moving to place its two flagship infrastructure proposals under independent professional scrutiny — a step that could shape how the city government ultimately decides to fund a new public market and an expansion of City Hall.
A resolution filed on Friday, June 5, 2026, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Dumaguete City calls for the creation of an independent review committee to assess the feasibility study and proposed loan tied to two capital projects: the construction of a new city public market and a twin two-storey City Hall extension building with an adjoining parking facility. The measure was sponsored by Councilor Jose Victor V. Imbo, who chairs the Committee on Finance, according to legislative records.
A Four-Member Panel Built on Professional Diversity
The proposed independent committee would draw from multiple professional fields to ensure a well-rounded and credible assessment. As laid out in the resolution, the panel would consist of four members representing legal, engineering, and financial expertise.
The named members include lawyer Golda S. Benjamin; Engineer Richard U. Lao, who currently serves as president of the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) – Negros Oriental chapter; and two established auditing firms — Reyes Tacandong & Co. and SyCip Gorres Velayo & Co. (SGV & Co.), both based in Cebu.
SGV & Co. is widely regarded as one of the Philippines’ most prominent professional services and auditing firms, with an extensive track record in both public and private sector financial engagements. Reyes Tacandong & Co. is similarly recognized as a major independent auditing firm with national reach. The inclusion of both firms signals the council’s intention to subject the city’s financial assumptions to a high standard of independent scrutiny.
The resolution, as described in the Finance Committee’s filing, frames this composition as essential to guaranteeing that financial projections, debt exposure calculations, and project assumptions are reviewed without internal bias or institutional pressure from within city government.
Wide-Ranging Mandate Covering Costs, Risks, and Alternatives
The scope of work assigned to the proposed panel goes considerably beyond a routine financial check. According to the resolution, the committee would be directed to examine the assumptions, methodologies, and conclusions embedded in the city’s own feasibility study for both the public market and the City Hall extension.
The panel would further evaluate the technical, financial, economic, social, environmental, and operational viability of each project. This means the review would extend into areas such as projected revenue generation, expected construction costs, economic returns, debt-servicing capacity, and the broader risks associated with undertaking both projects simultaneously or through a loan arrangement.
Critically, the committee is also directed to determine whether alternative financing mechanisms or implementation strategies might be more advantageous for Dumaguete City — a provision that the Finance Committee appears to have included deliberately to ensure that a loan is not treated as the default or only option on the table.
The panel would likewise be required to assess the loan’s potential fiscal impact on the city’s overall financial standing, its debt ceiling, budgetary flexibility, and long-term fiscal sustainability, according to the terms of the resolution.
Access to Offices, Stakeholders, and Subject Matter Experts
To fulfill its mandate, the independent committee would be authorized to hold consultations, conduct interviews, and convene meetings with city offices, relevant stakeholders, and specialist experts as the panel sees fit. This access is considered vital for any credible and thorough external review of a government infrastructure project of this scale.
Once the review is complete, the committee would be required to submit a formal written report — containing its full findings and recommendations — to both the City Mayor and the Sangguniang Panlungsod. The resolution does not establish a fixed deadline for this submission, leaving the specific timeframe to be settled when the panel is formally constituted through the Executive Department.
Copies of the resolution are to be distributed to the Office of the City Mayor, the City Planning and Development Office, the City Treasurer’s Office, the City Budget Office, and other relevant city departments for their information and appropriate action.
Panel’s Role Is Advisory — Final Authority Stays With Elected Officials
The resolution is clear that the independent committee’s output would carry no binding legal or administrative force. The panel would function strictly in an advisory capacity, and its findings would serve as reference material to help both the Executive Department and the city council deliberate on whether to move forward with the proposed projects and the loan arrangement that would finance them.
All final decisions regarding the projects and any borrowing agreement would remain the exclusive prerogative of the city’s elected officials and executive leadership. This distinction matters considerably given that the resolution acknowledges the loan being considered is substantial in scale, though the exact amount is not disclosed in the measure.
Infrastructure Proposals Have Long Drew Public Attention
The move toward independent review comes at a pivotal moment for Dumaguete City’s capital expenditure planning. The proposed new public market has been a recurring topic of discussion in the city for years, with concerns about the existing market’s capacity, sanitation conditions, and operational inefficiencies providing much of the impetus for a replacement facility.
The City Hall extension — a twin two-storey structure paired with a dedicated parking area — is similarly meant to address the administrative space constraints and operational demands of an expanding local government. Both projects, however, have attracted public concern over associated costs, the city’s current debt position, and the long-term financial obligations that a major loan would impose on local government resources and Dumaguete’s constituents.
Legislative Check on an Executive-Driven Process
By pushing for outside review before any loan agreement is executed, the Sangguniang Panlungsod — through Councilor Imbo’s measure — inserts an independent layer into what has largely been an executive-driven planning process. The Finance Committee’s decision to sponsor the resolution reflects a broader legislative concern for fiscal responsibility and due diligence at a time when the city is weighing a borrowing commitment of significant size.
The referral of the committee’s formation to the Executive Department means that the Mayor’s office would be responsible for formally constituting the panel and facilitating its access to the city’s internal records, financial data, and project documentation — all of which would be indispensable for a credible and rigorous review.
The engagement of firms of the stature of SGV & Co. and Reyes Tacandong & Co., alongside a registered civil engineer and a legal professional, underscores that the council envisions this as a substantive, independent exercise rather than a procedural formality.
What Comes Next for the Resolution
As the resolution continues through the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s legislative process, its approval would formalize the referral to the Executive Department and set in motion the actual constitution of the four-member panel. The city government would then be expected to furnish the committee with the complete feasibility study, financial projections, loan documentation, and all other supporting materials required for a comprehensive assessment.
The independent review’s findings are widely expected to carry considerable weight as the city council and city administration deliberate on whether — and how — to proceed with two of Dumaguete City’s most publicly visible infrastructure priorities.
Source: Breaking News Negros Oriental (breakingnewsnegrosoriental.com)
