MORE NEWS, BENGUET

Benguet seeks release of P23-M unpaid IRA
By Dexter A. See

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — Provincial officials have asked the national government to release at least P23 million from the unpaid Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) of the province.

The amount will be utilized for the implementation of priority projects that would ease the impact of the food crisis on the people in far-flung communities.

However, local officials are still deciding on the issue over the monetization program which is being offered as one of the options local governments could avail themselves in their efforts to acquire their shares from the P12.5-billion unprogrammed IRA for years 2001 and 2004.

The P1.25 billion represents the IRA difference tgat came as a result of the reenactment of the national budget in 2001 and 2004.

This vegetable-producing province has a share of P23.5 million as certified by the provincial budget officer. The amount, if released immediately, would be used for the implementation of priority projects aimed at providing livelihood to the poor people in the rural areas of the province.

Benguet’s IRA shares in 2001 and 2004 are P18.9 million and P4.5 million, respectively.

Earlier, President Gloria MacapagalArroyo issued an order directing the release of the R12.5 billion and giving local government units the option to avail themselves of their shares through the monetization program which calls for the release of the amount in lump sum. Another option calls for yearly installments in the next seven years.

Under the monetization program, local governments get discounted amounts depending on how the banks would compute the interests.

The Benguet provincial government will consult with the 13 municipalities on what scheme the province will choose.

Initially, provincial officials prefer to acquire the IRA through the monetization program because prices will be increasing in the next years. This would make lesser the monetary value of the IRA share.

While the money forms part of the general fund of the province, priority projects such as improvement of farm-tomarket roads, rehabilitation of irrigation systems, provision of livelihood assistance to the farmers, and health and education are lined up for possible funding by the unreleased IRA.

Despite playing host to large-scale mining operations, the province is still dependent on IRA as its main source of income.

If the 40 percent share of the local governments from the exploitation and utilization of the country’s national wealth, Benguet would be one of the richest provinces in the country because it would collect billions of pesos from large-scale mining companies and hydroelectric power plants, including the Ambuclao and Binga power plants.

Aside from the lucrative vegetable industry, mining and the operation of power plants are the major income earners of the province.


Benguet, Baguio execs in tiff over boundaries
By Dexter A. See

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — Provincial and Baguio officials are now at odds over the alleged expansion of the territorial jurisdiction of the city brought about by the proposed amendment of the century-old city charter pending approval before the House of Representatives.

Following this, Benguet officials pressed for a more accurate technical description of boundaries of Baguio with neighboring municipalities Tuba, Sablan, Itogon and this capital town.

According to them, the data would determine exact territory of the city in relation to its neighboring municipalities.

Information on technical date was sourced from the office of Baguio Rep. Mauricio Domogan, author of House bill 2813 which seeks to amend the city’s century-old charter.

Under the proposed bill, what was retained as the land area for Baguio City is 57.496670 square kilometers as detailed and fixed in Executive Order No. 37 of Governor-General Leonard Wood on August 6, 1925.

However, provincial officials were surprised about such information since they thought all along that the city was comprised of not less than 49 square kilometers, thus, there seems to be a substantial increase in area doubting that the data provided by Domogan’s office is correct.

Ironically, much of the misunderstanding on the proposed bill stemmed from lack of information among various offices.

They cited the case of the boundary dispute between Tuba and Baguio City which has long been settled on June 14, 2005 which showed that even with the boundary settlement, the land area of Baguio did not increase and that the land area of Tuba did not decrease.

Benguet officials said the technical description would provide a more realistic picture of the boundaries of the different local government units concerned, thus, concerned agencies must work out the issuance of such data before the passage of the bill.

Domogan wants Congress to approve the revised city charter before September 1, 2009 so that the city’s charter would be updated would clearly identify its boundaries with the neighboring towns and define the city’s land concerns to prevent massive disposal of public lands to unscrupulous individuals.

The officials expressed concern over their not being invited by the concerned House committees so they would also air their proposals on how to settle the city’s boundary problems so as not to sacrifice the territorial jurisdiction of its neighboring towns.

They said some officials were trying to railroad the matter to the advantage of Baguio.

OFW from Trinidad now hiding in Syria
By Dexter A. See

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — Provincial officials and relatives have requested the Department of Foreign Affairs to help immediately repatriate an Overseas Filipino Worker from this capital town who is currently reported in hiding in Syria after she reportedly escaped from her employer who maltreated her.

The missing OFW was identified as Maricel Ilag, a resident of Barangay Cruz here who was recruited by the Manila-based Golden Rahmad Recruitment Agency and left the country for Syria last Jan. 14.

However, upon arrival in Syria, there was no employer to meet her, thus, she fell into the hands of an unnamed agency that forced her to work for an abusive employer in Barzeh, Syria for the past several months.

Aside from being unjustly maltreated, the OFW was given an extremely low pay which was not enough to pay her obligations, it was learned.

On May 13, she escaped from her employer and is now in the custody of one Millet Sacopon, said to be the vice-president of the Filipino community in Syria. Local officials said the OFW’s life was in danger, thus, there is no other option except for her to come home to the country and get reunited with her relatives.