Governor to put up govt centers in all barangays in Palawan
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Jan. 31 (PNA) -– Envisioning clean and orderly government centers with adequate facilities in impressive greener surroundings, Governor Jose Alvarez met the barangay officials of the 19 barangays of the municipality of Aborlan, the first town in the south of Puerto Princesa City, during the weekend to discuss the Barangay Infrastructure Project which is expected to take off this year.
Aiming to fast-track Palawan’s long overdue development, Alvarez is initiating this grand project to steer economic growth in the barangays, which he believes has been neglected for so many years.
In his message to the barangay officials of Aborlan gathered at the multipurpose hall of the municipality, Alvarez said in the vernacular, “Alam ba ninyo na 100 years na and Provincial Government of Palawan pero hanggang ngayon kulang pa rin tayo ng facilities sa mga barangay. Ang ating suhesityon ay habang nandito po ako, tapusin na natin ‘tong probelma sa barangay.†(“Are you aware that the Provincial Government of Palawan is more than 100 years old? Yet our barangays still lack the basic facilities and amenities such as a covered court. My suggestion is that while I am still here, let’s work together to address the needs of our barangays.â€)
The Governor presented a perspective of the Barangay Infrastructure Project, designed by the provincial government’s Architect Kim Arvin G. Orar, to the barangay officials and the town Mayor Jaime Ortega together with other local officials.
The proposed barangay government center includes a barangay hall, health care center, day care center, senior citizen center, women’s center and a multipurpose hall which shall also serve as evacuation center in case of calamities.
According to the plan, the seats at the bleachers section of the multipurpose hall should be one meter wide so it can be turned into sleeping boards for evacuees. It should be equipped with clean, comfortable and convenient rest rooms for public use and of tourists as well.
Incorporated in the plan are road network and landscaping to ensure accessibility in a pleasant green environment that should also serve as barangay plaza. It should also be provided with a well-planned drainage system as a flood-control measure.
Regarding the financial and logistical requirements of this massive Barangay Infrastructure Project, the three levels of governance from the provincial, municipal to the barangay have agreed to adopt the bottom up planning and budgeting or BUB which is also tagged by the Department of Budget and Management as grassroots participatory budgeting.
Under this scheme, the provincial, municipal and barangay governments will share the project's funding requirements.
The barangay share would come from its 20% Development Fund to be remitted to the municipal government and in turn remit the same to a trust fund of the provincial government for the said project.
According to Atty. Gil Acosta, Jr., Legal Officer V, the municipal government should also remit its own counterpart fund to the project.
Both shares of the municipal and provincial government should be higher than the barangay share. To start up the project, the provincial government will advance the required funds.
The meeting ended with the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement by representatives of the three agencies namely the Barangay, Municipal and the Provincial Government. Expected completion of the Barangay Infrastructure Project province wide is 2017.
Alvarez is hopeful that with the support and cooperation of the barangay and municipal officials of Aborlan, other barangays will have a model to look up to in the implementation of the project in their respective barangays.
There are 367 barangays all over Palawan. (PNA)
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