Barangays in Makati to get money lending plan

The Makati City government is set to implement is own version of the "paluwagan" money-lending scheme in its 33 barangays.

Mayor Jejomar Binay said the scheme would ensure that all of the barangays fulfill their respective priority projects.

Binay noted that the smaller and less prominent barangays in the city find it difficult to implement projects because of the uneven sharing of the annual budget. The annual budget of a barangay is based on their respective real property tax collections and their internal revenue allotment.

This means that the more affluent barangays, such as Bel-Air, get the lion’s share of the budget while the smaller barangays are left with minimal amounts.

Barangay Bel-Air, which covers a huge residential and commercial area in Makati, was allocated P48 million this year while Barangay Post Proper Northside, the smallest in the city, was given P5.22 million.

Out of the 33 barangays, 14 are considered in the lower bracket with budgets ranging from P5.22 million to P7.8 million.

According to officials of these barangays, their budget is only enough for the salaries of their workers and the maintenance of their facilities.

Under the scheme of Binay, dubbed "Paluwagan sa Barangay," all of the barangays with the exception of the exclusive villages will be asked to present their priority projects for a given year. – Marvin Sy