Barangays get P400M for infra

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Michael Rama yesterday signed a memorandum of agreement with all barangays of Cebu City for the P400 million intended for various infrastructure projects.

While majority of the barangays would be getting P3 million, there are those with bigger or lower allocations depending on population and area.

The money is part of the city’s 2012 annual budget. This is for financial assistance to barangay infrastructure projects under the Local Development Fund.

Warning

Rama, however, warned the barangay captains about anomalies in the implementation of the projects.

In his speech before the signing of the MOA with the barangay captains, Rama found the opportunity to hit his political rival, Rep. Tomas Osmeña, by saying that he would not be personally filing charges against those who would be found to have entered into anomalous transactions if done unintentionally.

Osmeña, when he was mayor, personally filed charges against some barangay officials for entering into alleged anomalous transactions. 

Rama also said that he will not continue the policy of the previous administration, which implemented the projects instead of the barangays themselves.

The administration of Osmeña implemented such policy due to alleged anomalies in the implementation of projects.

According to Rama it is not correct that the city will be the one to implement projects for the barangays.

“This is the thrust of my administration to empower the barangay,” Rama said.

Osmeña filed complaints against some barangay officials including his former ally Eugenio ‘Jingjing’ Faelnar of Guadalupe for alleged anomalous projects.

Osmeña explained he personally filed complaints against barangay officials who were allegedly involved in anomalous projects undertaken by E.M. Arante Construction because the funds came from the city.

He said, it is his duty to ensure that the money that came from the taxes of the people will not be wasted.

Equitable

The bigger barangays like Apas will have as much as P6.9 million.

Rama said the barangay officials should not be jealous at those with bigger allocation since the financial assistance is not uniform, because it is based on the population and area of barangays.

While the barangay officials are the ones to choose their projects, they can only be implemented after review by the members of the Project Review Implementation and Monitoring Office (PRIMO).

City support

The PRIMO will be composed of personnel from different departments of City Hall. The body will be created by Rama.

In an executive order, Rama said that the PRIMO aims to ensure that the projects will be in line with his administration’s Social Development Program Agenda.

The city will assist the barangays in the preparation of the Programs of Works and Estimates (POWE) through the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) and then it will also assist the barangays in the conduct of bidding and in fulfilling of other technical requirements.

Councilor Edgardo Labella reminded the barangay officials yesterday that they have the “solemn duty to serve the public” and not to gain profits for themselves.

Labella said he is planning to propose that City Hall creates a Barangay Legal Assistance Office, whose task is to help ensure that the barangay officials would avoid legal problems with their projects due to ignorance of the law. —/NLQ (FREEMAN)