TALKING FUNDS. Rep. Dong Gonzales and son Brenz join Mayor Edwin Santiago and councilor BJ Lagman at the LDC meeting on the city’s LDF. Contributed photo
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Reversion, realignment, and allocation of the Local Development Fund to substantially cover projects along the three core sectors of social development, economic development, and environmental management.
Thus, took the center stage at the city’s local development council meeting last week presided by Mayor Edwin “EdSa” Santiago, Vice Mayor Jimmy Lazatin and first councilor BJ Lagman at the civic center in Barangay San isidro and participated in by local government unit’s heads of offices and attached agencies, barangay captains, and several representatives from public and private sectors.
The meeting was conducted through a blend of physical and virtual conference.
Seated at the conference table with Santiago and Lagman were 3rd District Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr. and his son Aurelio “Brenz” Gonzales who serves as the congressman’s political officer.
Rizzel Mangilit, OIC of the city budget office, said that the “2020 Aid to Barangay Priority Projects” for three villages were reverted to the construction of emergency health care facilities amounting to P600,000 as part of the city’s Covid-19 response.
A total of P800,000 under the realignment of 2021 appropriations, on the other hand, was used for several “Aid to Barangay Projects” that include infrastructures for health, flood control, and environmental protection.
The city also geared up for the funding of local development projects for the year 2022 using the 20 percent of the National Allotment Tax (NTA). San Fernando’s NTA amounts to P1,295,739,585, of which, 20 percent or P259,147,917 will be for local development projects.
Among the three core sectors, economic development holds the highest allocation of P142,500,000. This covers the “Aid to Barangay Priority Projects” distributed to all 35 barangays of the city, and construction and rehabilitation of local roads and bridges.
Environmental management was allotted P89,647,917 to fund flood control projects, while social development cornered P27,000,000 for street lighting, repair and improvement of a health center, and construction and improvement of a two-storey multi-purpose hall.
In his speech, Santiago said the pandemic will bring more challenges in the coming years especially in terms of financial capability. He assured though that “with the joint works of public and private sectors, development projects will be possible.”
“Dapat ay asahan na natin ang pagliit ng ating National Tax Allotment sa mga susunod na taon. Ngunit, gayun pa man, masasabi natin na ang San Fernando ay handa para sa mga pagbabagong ito. Katuwang ang suporta ng mga departamento, lehislatura, mga mamamayan, ang business sector, lalo na sa mga katuwang natin sa public market, alam natin na tayo ay magtatagumpay sa ating recovery at resilience programs,” Santiago said.
