Capitol to study what to do with funds for MRF

CEBU, Philippines- The Cebu provincial Capitol is studying what to do with funds for the Material Recovery Facility program that remained inactive since 2008.

Gov. Hilario Davide III, in yesterday’s consultative meeting in Bogo City, said some mayors asked him if they could realign the funds since the MRF was not implemented.

“We’re working now of polling all these funds so we can build a landfill for the province.... sabotan pa,” Davide said during the gathering attended by representatives from different sectors of Bogo.

Davide’s statement came after a Development Bank of the Philippines representative told Davide, Vice Governor Agnes Magpale, Provincial Board members, provincial department heads, and Bogo City officials that the funds are inactive since the MRF project of former Gwendolyn Garcia did not take off.

Bebeth Ruñez of the DBP told The Freeman that the funds, deposited since 2008, have been slapped with a P200/month penalty for every account since they have been declared inactive.

Garcia had set aside P50,000 and P400,000 for each barangay and town/city for the establishment of MRF.

But Ruñez said only about 30 percent of the barangays and LGUs in the province withdrew their funds from DBP and implemented the project.

Although the funds had already been transferred to the accounts of the barangays and local government units, they can only withdraw the amount upon the approval of the province, which checks on the status of the project if this is properly implemented.

Ruñez said some barangays and LGUs were able to submit their reports to the province but these were not approved for some reasons.

Millions of pesos remain in different DBP branches in Cebu for the MRF project and Ruñez said since the funds became inactive, a certain amount is deducted from the money as penalty each month.

She said they already referred the matter to the previous administration but they were reportedly just passed on from one department to another.  (FREEMAN)