Brgys asked: Donate 20% of IRA for CCMC

CEBU, Philippines - A barangay captain yesterday suggested that each barangay should donate 20 percent of its Internal Revenue Allotment for the construction of the Cebu City Medical Center.

Lorega-San Miguel barangay captain Fritzgerald Herrera made the suggestion during the Cebu City Development Council meeting.

“Isip lumulupyo at the same time kapitan sa Brgy. Lorega – San Miguel, akong i-propose nga kaning pondo nato sa twenty percent of the IRA for development projects ato ni’ng igahin sa pagtukod sa atong CCMC. It’s more on the concern man gud nga naglugos og come up og kawarta ang city,” Herrera said.

The suggestion, however, was met with opposition from Agsungot barangay captain Noli Ann Alcover. According to Alcover, there are other concerns that the barangays should attend to other than the problem of CCMC.

Under the joint memorandum circular issued by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on April 13, 2011, some projects that can be funded by the 20 percent of the barangay’s IRA are the construction or rehabilitation of health centers, rural health units or hospitals, and purchase of medical equipment.

“I mean in our own resources naa man diay tay makit-an, why don’t we set aside part of that,” Herrera said.

Herrera said that the barangays, especially those in the urban area, depend so much on the CCMC for the hospitalization of their constituents.

“Right now we have seen CCMC gyud, murag di gyud maayo ang kahimtang so it’s urgent (to reconstruct). Siguro mo sacrifice sa ta sa mga may projects to give way sa tinguha sa mayor nga matukod ang CCMC,” Herrera told the city’s development council.

But Alcover said there are other projects that she needs to fund out of the 20 percent of the IRA.

Alcover cited the damaged road in Sitio Lintuang in her barangay because of the super typhoon Yolanda. She also needs the fund to repair their barangay hall which was damaged by the magnitude 7.2 earthquake last year.

Association of Barangay Councils president Philip Zafra said he welcomes the proposal. However, he said it has to be discussed thoroughly among the 80 barangays in the city.

The city government has conducted a fund-raising drive for the construction of a new CCMC after the present building was damaged by the earthquake. The hospital is temporarily using the fire department building. (FREEMAN)