Brownout halts PB discussion on 2007 budget, water agency

Power outage yesterday stopped the Provincial Board from deliberating two major legislative measures: the 2007 budget, and the creation of the Provincial Water Resources Authority.

The PB was supposed to conduct its regular session and discuss, on first reading, the proposed P2 billion annual budget and, on second reading, PB member Victor Maambong's proposed creation of PWRA.

Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez said the PB would just tackle the measures this Monday and that there would be no special session in lieu of the stalled session. There are five Mondays still left for the PB to hold its regular sessions and resolve these legislative items, he said.

Governor Gwen Garcia, for her part, said earlier that her proposed budget for 2006 is basically a reiteration of her administration's thrust, which contained her 12-point agenda.

The governor's budget proposal calls for 40.5 percent (over P810 million) allotted for general public services, 37.35 percent (over P745 million) for economic services, and 22.24 percent (over P45 million) for social services.

She said the P300 million budget for road asphalting projects next year, in addition to the P600 million for the same types of project for the past two years, would bring to P900 million the total budget for her program to asphalt 400 kilometers of provincial roads within three years.

Another item in the 2007 budget is an allocation of P50 million, in addition to the same amount set aside last year, as a loan facility available for local governments in the province.

The entire budget practically reinstate the items of last year's so the only new item being endorsed is the P20 million fund for the enforcement of the Malapascua Island Eco-Tourism Development plan.

One of the major measures that the PB was supposed to tackle yesterday was the proposed creation of the PWRA, for which Maambong said would "control and operate bulk water supply private participation", among other tasks. - Flor Z. Perolina/RAE