Capitol's 2006 development fund reaches P147 M
The Province of Iloilo is set to work on over P147 million in provincial development funds for programs and projects that promises to bring in new hospital buildings, a lot of "priority drugs and medicines," milk for Iloilo's 2nd and 3rd degree malnourished children and infrastructure work.
As proposed and designed, the multi-million allocation will also see more provincial scholars and more skills training program for the administration's pet project, MYRNA, an acronym for Mobilizing Youth for Responsive National Advancement. MYRNA gets P400,000 new allocation this year.
Yet getting the bulk of the fund at over P41 million is the "long-term mandatory obligation and indebtedness" of the Province on loans secured from the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP). As disclosed in the allocation, the Capitol has mandatory loan amortization with LBP Manila of P18 million for engineering equipment outlay and P23.5 million for provincial capitol outlay.
It was not immediately clear if the "engineering equipment outlay" refers to the now controversial P100 million sought to purchase heavy equipment and subject of a pending case filed by members of the conscience bloc in the Sanggunian Panlalawigan (SP).
About P16.8 million in development fund will also go to the Capitol's health sector reform programs where the promised new hospital buildings will be sourced from with an allocation of P8 million.
Peace and order efforts will also see at least P3 million in development fund allocation where Capitol intends to have "aggressive drives" against use of illegal drugs, enforcement of laws and ordinances against illegal gambling and other illegal activities besetting the province. Translated into pesos, the campaign will see P1.2 million in "aggressive drive" program this year.
And "Year of the Dog" that it is, the Iloilo Provincial Government will spend over P1.5 million in eliminating stray dogs, castrating those caught, and province-wide vaccination. In contrast, the Capitol allotted P100,000 or less than 10% of the 'dog fund' for the GMA nutria-plant Project Support Service designed to aid research efforts and other technology enhancement plans aimed at improving nutria-plant products while promoting and generating more local jobs
Incidentally, the Capitol does see the need to improve its fiscal management. With over P5 million in development fund allocation comes the budget for programs and project focused on getting more revenues for Iloilo. As such, P2 million will be spent for this and another P1 million for the promotion of sound fiscal management through enhanced system in supply management. The specifics were not readily available.
Significant allocation of P20 million was also set aside for the controversial Community Direct Action Project (CDAP), its release dependent on who the Governor wants to have a share with. Last month alone heard the gripes of conscience bloc board members whose requests for CDAP share were not heard.
And there are to be more trees and a cleaner and greener Iloilo as about P1.9 million were allocated for Capitol's community clean and green program.
Total programs and projects under the Development Fund set to be sourced from this year's Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) is P147,230,476.80.