Councilors approve release of pork barrel

CEBU, Philippines - At least P4.2 million has been approved by the Cebu City Council for various projects in the different barangays.

Councilors Ritchie Osmeña, Edgardo Labella, Alvin Dizon, Roberto Cabarrubias and Raul Alcoseba has set aside from their local development fund (LDF) or “pork barrel” “soft projects” intended for their respective district barangays.

Last year, each of the barangay councilors received P2 million for their LDF.

But their LDF cannot be given in cash but in kind because this is a form of capital outlay,according to Vice Mayor and presiding officer Joy Augustus Young.

Part of the LDF of Osmeña will be procured for portable sound system to be given in eight barangays in the south district, which is amounting to P484,000.

Alcoseba, meanwhile, has appropriated P2 million for the purchase of 8,000 pieces of basic health package to be given to all elementary schools in the south districts.

Labella, for his part, said that part of his P2 million will be set aside for the purchase of 46 units of delivery room tables to be distributed in the 46 barangays in the north, costing the city some P460, 000.

Dizon has set aside P645, 200 to buy LCD TVs and DVD players for the day care centers in different barangays while Cabarrubias has set aside P616,759 for the purchase of portable and movable stage beds, and DVD players and laptops for the barangays in the south.

Ralota has set aside P3 million to buy desk computer with printers to the 80 barangays of Cebu City to aid them in their functions and transactions.

But later, Ralota withdrew his proposal after Cebu City South District Rep. Tomas Osmeña promised he will appropriate from his Priority Development Fund (PDAF) for this.

Councilors Margarita Osmeña and Nida Cabrera already spent their LDF on learning boards of kindergarten schools of their barangays.

Councilor Jun Pe’s LDF will be spent on fixing barangay tents.

Young, who has an LDF of P8 million, said he gave the allocation to the councilors, saying the P2 million LDF of every councilor is just small for the different projects.

This year, their LDF was doubled to P4 million, but it will be used for the barangay infrastracture projects.

The budget for the LDF is obtained from the allocation for barangay financial aid. — Garry B. Lao/JPM (THE FREEMAN)