Mayor pushes merging of Baguio City barangays

BAGUIO CITY – The problem on funding for the honorarium of barangay tanods and street sweepers can be solved eventually if the number of barangays will be decreased.

Mayor Mauricio Domogan said this can address problem of funding for barangay appointees.

The merging of small barangays is seen as a permanent solution to sustain funds needed for the benefit of appointed barangay workers under peace and order and sanitation.

The Commission on Audit earlier directed barangays to charge against personnel services (PS) honorarium granted to tanods and street sweepers and no longer under the maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE).

The said directive affected small barangays which could not apportion an allocation for the honorarium of their respective appointees due to limited and meager budget resulting to the decrease of tanods and street sweepers.

With this development, some barangays requested Councilor Roberto Ortega, chair of the committee on peace and order and Liga president Councilor Michael Lawana to author an ordinance which would subsidize honorarium of barangay appointees with limited funding.

The Liga deemed putting up a two-month long trade fair was most convenient, reasonable and practical means by which it can aid the barangays to raise funds.

Domogan however said, the planned activity of the Liga poses a problem as it goes against the city’s trade fair ordinance.

The proposed trade fair was targeted to be put-up at the Juan Luna Drive, Burnham Park which was supposed to start March 15 until May 15.

The mayor said one of the seen solutions for the problem on funding was to include in the supplemental budget for 2015 allowances and honorarium of the tanods and street sweepers.

The more permanent solution, he said, rests with the merging of small barangays.

Domogan said,” the situation being faced by smaller barangays is that they cannot generate funds due to small Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA).”

Domogan said, “the only fear for barangay officials why they disapprove merging is they might lose if merged with barangays with a higher voting population.”

The mayor said if barangay merging is approved, the term of barangay officials will not be affected and they will continue to function.

“It will take effect only after the expiration of their terms of office,” he said.

Domogan said, “proposed merging will make barangays more sustainable.” – Paul Rillorta