Rescue equipment fund: Council to make sure barangays get equal share

CEBU, Philippines- Cebu City Council’s committees on budget and finance and on social services will look into the P80 million-budget for the procurement of rescue equipment for the 80 barangays in the city.

This after councilors David Tumulak and Alvin Arcilla pushed for a resolution ensuring that each barangay will get an equal share to fund its programs on disaster mitigation and risk reduction.

“It is the thrust of the Cebu City Government to make the barangays ready for any disaster that may strike their respective areas by providing them with the necessary trainings and the needed equipment for life saving and  rescue operations,” the one-page resolution read.

For this year alone, a total of P80 million was charged from the general fund for the procurement of the rescue equipment as provided under the Local Development Fund project.

Each barangay will get P1 million.

“There is an amount of P80 million under Account No. 9999-290-014-001 which is intended to fund the programs of the barangays for disaster prevention, preparation, risk reduction and mitigation,” the resolution further read.

Tumulak, who also chairs the city’s Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, said that a rough estimate of 30 barangays have already submitted their programfor the equipment’s procurement.

The rest of the barangays have been advised to already submit their respective programs to the CCDRRMC until October 15.

According to Arcilla, some barangays, in their drafted programs, have enlisted items and equipment, of which total amount has actually exceeded one million pesos.

Arcilla said the resolution was come up in order to protect the allocated budget and so that each barangay will equally get their share.

“A barangay doesn’t need to use more than a million. All of the barangays should have an equal share,” he said.  (FREEMAN)