'Restore Pampanga town's IRA to pre-Pinatubo eruption level'

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III has called for the restoration of the internal revenue allotment (IRA) of Bacolor, Pampanga to its pre-Pinatubo eruption levels.

In a resolution, Pimentel noted that residents of Bacolor, who were forced to evacuate when Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991, relocated to the neighboring towns and municipalities of Pampanga but remained registered residents of Bacolor.

The residents of Bacolor moved to Bulaon in San Fernando; Madapdap, Mabalacat; Sta. Lucia, Magalang; and Pandacaqui, Mexico, where resettlement areas were set up for them.

“The obligations, responsibilities, functions and duties of the municipality of Bacolor can best be met if its IRA is computed as if its population has not been depopulated, that is, using the population figures prior to the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo,” Pimentel said.

“The unfortunate incident that happened in Bacolor is force majeure and could be classified as a special case which requires special treatment in the application of the population requirement in the computation of IRA share pursuant to Section 285 of Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991,” he added.

RA 7160 provides that the share of municipalities in the IRA shall be allocated based on population (50 percent), land area (25 percent) and equal sharing (25 percent).

Pimentel urged the Senate committees on local government and finance to conduct hearings on the matter.