Resident urges town council to avail of loan

CEBU, Philippines - A constituent of the municipality of Daanbantayan has appealed to the majority members of the town council to avail of a World Bank grant for typhoon Yolanda affected localities.

Lawyer Estrella Martinez, also former official of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, said the action of seven councilors, who stopped the municipality from availing of the loan, is analogous to the story of a man living in the middle of a big lake but died of extreme thirst.

“It is a unique phenomenon in the firmament of local governance that the once ‘sleepy town’ of Daanbantayan will reject a God-given loan because of those arguments propounded by the opposition councilors sublimely exposing a bandwagon political affiliation,” said Martinez, adding that this is an “anaconda” kind of political governance.

As a concerned constituent, Martinez expressed she is saddened that the officials are stumbling blocks in the awakening of the economic lethargy of her hometown.

“Their misapprehension on the mismanagement of the loan is without any legal or factual basis,” she said.

Martinez said the Commission on Audit and the Department of Interior and Local Government will lose the essence of their existence as expounded in the councilors’ individual disapproval due to their political bias and prejudice.

“It is my prayer that the opposing councilors will cast hope in making Daanbantayan an economically lifted municipality through the approval of a World Bank loan,” she added.

Last November, Daanbantayan Council stopped the municipality from availing of a World Bank grant made available to 16 local government units affected by super typhoon Yolanda.

Seven of the nine town councilors turned down the Municipal Development Council resolution requesting the council that Daanbantayan take advantage of a Land Bank of the Philippines loan to finance the 10-percent LGU counterpart required by WB-Support for Strategic Local Development & Investment Projects Program. Part of the loan would also be used to purchase the lot to be used for the relocation of the municipal hall.

The MDC endorsed around P885 million worth of projects, which include drainage system, water treatment facilities, relocation of the town hall and wet market, modernization of the Rural Health Unit, and purchase of heavy equipment.

Before the program could be started, the town must fulfill all requirements, which include an organized S2LDIP team, letter of intent by the mayor for the town to avail of the program, and a council resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into an agreement with LBP.  (FREEMAN)