Mayor Cezar T. Quiambao assembled the town’s barangay captains at his residence on August 24 to brief them on their 2016-2017 budget and other pressing concerns.

Mayor CTQ said that, as per Budget Ordinance #2, s. 2016, the P38M-plus budget approved for barangay development projects for 2016 should have been spent by December. He said Php1.8M has been allocated for eight talipapas and 36M has been allocated for concrete roads.

He further announced the budget allocations for the subsequent years: around 42M for 2017, 46M for 2018, and 50M for 2019. He reminded everyone that 20% of the internal revenue allotment (IRA) is automatically slated for barangay development projects.

“It used to be that the 20% of the IRA went to the payment of debts the town had incurred over the public market project.”

“This budget is meant to provide livelihood for your respective constituents,” CTQ added.

“The construction materials needed have already gone through bidding,” he said, with the distribution of materials set to start by September.

The labor, however, is not part of the budget, he clarified, so it will be shouldered by the municipio. The kapitans present applauded the move.

CTQ gave the barangay captains a free hand in handling their budget, but he added that he would task the municipal auditor to do the auditing for him. He gave everyone a deadline of on or before September 10 for submitting their budget requests for 2016 barangay development projects and an October 15 deadline for 2017 barangay development projects.

“There will be one supplier only for all 77 barangays,” he revealed.

Other matters taken up during the morning meeting held at his Saint Vincent Village residence include support for President Duterte’s ongoing war against illegal drugs and the need for a modern solid waste management system. (PIO/Media Affairs. Photo by PIO/Media Affairs)