TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines- The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Cagayan furthered their deliberation on the 2017 executive budget, facing again the issue on the proposed development assistance to barangays.
Several barangay chairs where on hand for SP’s deliberation on the 2017 Executive Budget, particularly on the development assistance to barangays, during the board’s mobile 65th Regular Session in Gattaran, Cagayan on Monday, November 27.
Cagayan Board Member Perla Tumaliuan emphasized the need to “deal accordingly” the deliberation of the development assistance fund for barangays.
“Alam ng mga barangay na this is government fund. It must be dealt accordingly,” Tumaliuan said.
“We will definitely prioritize kung ano ang mga pangangailangan ng mga barangay kaya po we are putting funds in their proper perspective,” the board member added.
The proposed 2017 budget of Governor Manuel Mamba’s administration seeks to give P500,000 each to all 820 barangays of Cagayan.
With the presence of some barangay officials, Vice-Governor Melvin Vargas, Jr said the provincial board will help barangays in entrusting the funds of the provincial government.
At one point in the session, the possibility of putting the half-a-million development assistance to barangays to the aid to barangays appropriation was also discussed.
Meanwhile, Board Member Cristopher Barcena said the discretion to implement projects and programs must fall under the hands of elected officials and not through newly recruited purok leaders.
He said giving this discretion to purok leaders is “unfair” and is a clear violation of the local government code.
The board also stressed the need to comply to the local government code.
Further, the board said that the identification of barangay scholars must be left to barangay officials while the fund will be directed to schools. Under the proposed 2017 budget, scholarship will now be covered by the half-a-million development assistance to barangays.
Meanwhile, also on Monday, the SP also held their Lingap Kaibigan, Angat Cagayan program in Gattaran, along with the celebration of Aldaw ti Baggao 2017.
Together with Department of Health, Cagayan Valley Medical Center, Cagayan Dental Chapter, and the Municipal Health Office of Gattaran, the SP conducted free medical and dental mission for the public.
SP also offered free legal and paralegal clinic through the legal consultants of the Office of the Vice Governor.
Aside from these, services from national agencies such as SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-Ibig Fund, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and Department of Agriculture were also available. Northernforum.net
