Talisay ditches measure meant to help barangays

CEBU, Philippines - Citing lack of funds, the Talisay City council deferred Tuesday the approval of the proposed resolution giving P150,000 quarterly assistance to each of the 22 barangays.

Councilor Val Ylanan, author of the measure, said the fund was intended to augment each barangay’s budget so it could sponsor activities such as sports for the youth and outings and meetings for senior citizens and the disabled.

But the budget office has claimed the city has no available funds for such schemes.

Ylanan however isn’t convinced by the reason given. He said most often only one of 10 resolutions submitted by the opposition get the council’s nod. Ylanan belongs to the 3-man minority bloc.

“Pero di man na para nako unta, para sa mga tawo kay personally wa man ko nanginahanglan ana. Sa ilang pag-deny sa resolution, gihikawan nila ang katawhan,” Ylanan said.

The councilor said he got the idea from the City of Naga which grants P100,000 “pork barrel” per quarter to each of its 28 barangays. If it is possible for the city to provide such an amount to its villages, Talisay could easily do the same considering that its income, which is more than P400 million for this year, is a lot higher than Naga’s less than P100 million, he said.

This program was started by City of Naga Mayor Valdemar Chiong about two years ago.

In Talisay however it was Ylanan who proposed that the council request Mayor Socrates Fernandez to do the same.

The funds would have been for barangay services such as medical missions, free medicines and feeding to the constituents, Ylanan said.

But since the council already junked his proposal, the councilor said he will just find other ways to make the city’s millions reach the 22 barangays.