Only six brgys get P6.6M aid from city

CEBU, Philippines - Only six of the 80 barangays in Cebu City have received the P6.6 million cash aid to barangays for 2013.

Officer-in-charge city accountant Mark Rossel Salomon said the six barangays include Lahug, Basak San Nicolas, Punta Princesa, Mabini, Pung-ol and Buot-taop.

The application of four other barangays – Lusaran, Agsungot, Pamutan and T. Padilla – are being processed.

“Siguro mga two weeks or three weeks after ma-releasan pud to sila.  Ang six nga nahatagan fully liquidated. Naa man gyud ubang barangay nga wala pa sila naka-liquidate gyud,” Salomon said.

Salomon said that since the book of accounts for 2013 is already closed, they plan to get the money through a supplemental budget so that other barangays can still avail of the aid.

San Roque barangay captain Lidiore Miranda said he inherited about P117,000 unliquidated cash aid from his predecessor whom he plans to sue.

“Wala naman koy choice pero I need to confront them. Pobre mi nga barangay. Because P6.6 million is  P6.6 million… dako na. I made mention to those official nga responsable ani nga ingon sila nga ilahang paningkamutan. So mao na nga hangtod karon nasirad-an na diay mi di na hinuon mi makadawat sa P6.6 million. Makaluluoy na nuon,” Miranda said.

“Siguro kuwang lang gyud sila sa pag-ayuda o pagtabang sa mga knowledgeable nga mga tawo so hopefully ang atoang mga bookkeeper sa ABC accounting department nga magkatinabangay mao to nga akoang giawhag tanan nga katong wala pa ka liquidate sa ilang previous cash advances nga mo-coordinate sa atoang opisina,” Philip Zafra, President of the Association of  Barangay Councils  said during the first general assembly yesterday.

Of the 80 barangay captains, 66 attended the event.

“Ako ng giiisip nga aduna silay prior commitments pero wala na magpasabot nga wala sila mosuporta sa ABC,” Zafra said.

Mayor Michael Rama during the event reminded the barangay captains to be serious in serving their constituents.

“If you’re thinking of politics all the time, you are more of money orientation. Be serious in serving because that will make you alive,” Rama said.

Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, on the other hand, said that he is looking for an ABC wherein political rivalry does not exist.

“Daghan kong nadungog nga kun dili kauban sa pundok dili tagaan og pagtagad. Please hunonga nana kay gipili ta sa katawhan para serbisyohan nato sila tanan,” Labella said.

Zafra agrees with Labella.

“We are an association and we should lead by example so that we will be able to achieve and aim high for a better ABC as a center of good governance in the city of Cebu…. for your president is the president of all. Wala gyud koy gipili when it comes to public service,” Zafra said. —/JMO (FREEMAN)