Home News Cagayan Valley Cagayan CAVRAA 2018: Did gov Mamba ask Tuguegarao gov’t to fund repair of Cagayan sport complex?

CAVRAA 2018: Did gov Mamba ask Tuguegarao gov’t to fund repair of Cagayan sport complex?

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines- Did Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba ask the city government of Tuguegarao to fund the repair of Cagayan Sports Complex for the latter’s hosting of Cagayan Valley Regional Athletic Association (CAVRAA) meet?

No, according to Mamba’s education consultant.

In Pagdidinnamagan: Kapehan sa Kapitolyo on Monday, February 5, Clarita Lunas cleared out rumors that the governor asked for a “certain amount” for the repair sports complex.

If it were true, the Cagayan provincial government would have to deny the use of the province’s premier sporting facility if the city government failed to approve the supposed request for funding.

But Lunas said the governor had no intention to deny the use, adding that Mamba only said he would not allow the sports complex to be used if it’s under its typhoon-stricken condition.

She also discredited rumors that Mamba wanted the sports complex to be rented.

“He was not asking for a certain amount. There’s no truth to that. There is no truth to ayaw niyang ipagamit. In fact, ang point niya to improve the Cagayan Sports Complex [was] ayaw naman niyang ipagamit na ganun lang. Yung na mention niya, ayaw kong ipagamit na ganun lang ang hitsura [at] without improvement,” Lunas said.

Lunas added that they were only sent by Mamba to ask the city government and find out if they had any counterpart for the improvement of the sports complex.

She noted that this has been “resolved” and attributed communication gap and misunderstanding between key officials as cause of the “rumors.”

P10-million aid request

Documents obtained by Northern Forum also showed that the Tuguegarao City government asked for P10 million as “financial assistance” from the provincial government for the CAVRAA meet.

In a resolution in November 2017, the Local School Board of Tuguegarao accepted the offer of the provincial government to co-host the sports meet, and in addition, asked for financial assistance.

The P10-million financial assistance would have to be used as augmentation of the P35 million already in place for the city’s hosting, the resolution said.

“Whereas, in this line of generous offer of the Provincial Governor of Cagayan, the Local School Board of Tuguegarao City earnestly requests for a financial assistance in the amount of Ten Million Pesos (P10,000,000) to augment the earmarked budget of Thirty Five Million (P35,000,000) allocated for the hosting of CAVRAA Meet 2018,” the resolution reads.

It was not clear, however, how the provincial government acted to the request of the city government.

Waived funds

Met with problems on where to get the funding of the repair of sports complex, Lunas said the Tuguegarao City government’s waived of its 2017 “No Town Left Behind” share of P3 million.

Further, since the 2018 budget is still on review by the provincial board, the city government was also reportedly “asked” to waive their 2018 share of P3 million from the “No Town Left Behind” program.

This means the city waived a total of P6 million from the provincial government for the rehabilitation of the sports complex alone.

“Hiningi yun ng provincial government kung puwedeng idonate na iyon, ifo-forgo na ‘yun, parang ‘yun ang gagamitin [para sa repairs],” Lunas said in Kapehan.

Meanwhile, Lunas told the public not to believe in rumors and get information from the people concerned.

“There was no pronouncement as far as the governor is concerned. [Sabi ni governor] kahihiyan ng Cagayan kung hindi natin i-improve,” she added.

Meanwhile, Lunas blamed the delay of repairs to the city government’s late response to Mamba’s letter expressing the provincial government’s desire to co-host CAVRAA.

Yet, Provincial Engineer Basilia Flores reportedly said repairs only started after the city waived their “No Town Left Behind” financial assistance.

Further, Flores told the media in last week’s episode of Kapehan that they will also use remaining Lawin donations worth P2.7 million for some repairs.

(READ: Cagayan gov’t to use ‘remaining’ Lawin funds to repair sports complex)

The provincial engineer said the allocations for the sports complex’s rehabilitation was only proposed under the 2018 budget which is still currently scrutinized by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

Meanwhile, Lunas said the governor reportedly declined Cagayan’s co-hosting of CAVRAA meet next year, with Cauayan City slated to host.

The 2018 CAVRAA meet will be held on February 25 to March 3. With reports from Raymon Dullana/Northernforum.net

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