Davao Norte provl govt breaches P1 B budget

Davao del Norte Vice Gov. Victorio “Baby” Suaybaguio, Jr.

dec 15, 2013

For the first time since creation, the Davao del Norte provincial government has breached P1-billion budget, and that is for next year 2014.

 “The Sangguniang Panlalawigan approved the 2014 annual budget of P1,108,200,000 as proposed by the executive department,” Provincial Budget Officer Norma Lumain said over the weekend.

 “The increase was due to the P90-million increment of the province’s IRA (Internal Revenue Allotment) share, incomes from the three district hospitals and other income sources,” she added.

Vice Governor Victorio “Baby” Suaybaguio, Jr. hailed the making of Davao del Norte as another billionaire province in the country, saying that with it comes the greater services, programs and projects for the greatest good of the greatest number of people in the province.  “It topped over other Davao del Norte’s indicators of growth, progress and development.”

The province hit the P1-billion mark 14 years after the carving of Compostela Valley as another province in 1998, or 46 years after its creation in 1967. (Rural Urban News/Cha Monforte)

NEWS: Investigation on alleged Sportivo overpricing scam in Davnor Capitol called on

BM San Juan asked for parallel probe

Davao del Norte Boardmember Artemio San Juan called on for a “parallel investigation” by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on the alleged Sportivo overpricing scandal being circulated in malicious text messages from still unknown senders.

Showing previous copies of a local Tagum daily, Sidlak and of a local Visayan daily which reported last week the spread of said text messages to among local mediamen, San Juan, chair of the SP’s laws and justice committee, moved in Monday’s session to refer the matter to the committee on good government chaired by Demitrio Maligro for “proper investigation parallel” to the one pledged by Governor Rodolfo del Rosario during a press conference.

A few interpellations were heard on the floor to clarify San Juan’s motion.

Boardmember Ely Dacalus stood up and asked for copies of the previous issues of Sidlak and a Visayan daily saying that he had not yet read the news items.

San Juan then made supplementary motion directing the Office of the Secretary of the Sanggunian (OSS) to reproduce copies of the issues for the rest of the boardmembers.

Floorleader Gregorio Facula wrapped up San Juan’s motion following clarificatory queries from senior Boardmember Janet Gavina, who was still presiding over the provincial board yesterday in view of the continued absence of Vice Gov. Victorio “Baby” Suaybaguio.

There was no comment heard on the floor when Gavina asked for it before the motion was sent to Maligro’s committee.

Gov. Del Rosario Tuesday last week in the Kapihan sa Kapitolyo press forum at the Media Center in the Capitol compound pledged he would conduct his own inquiry-probe on overpricing allegations spread by text messages that tagged his provincial administrator Rufo Peligro and general services department head Sammy Sanchez.

He dared the unknown senders to come out in the open and bring out evidences to their allegations even as he swore on the integrity of the bidding processes at the Capitol.

The governor also decribed the text messages in one angle as political intrigue intended to sow disunity among political leaders adding that it came with 2009 being a political year already.

Menwhile, the vice governor is due to return office on February 2 after his over a month of vacation from the United States, said Nicandro “Nick” Suaybaguio Sr., brother of the vice governor.

He said that the vice governor also underwent medical checkup in the US for his minor arthritis ailment.

He said that the DILG provincial office made Tuesday a favorable legal opinion that the authorization of the vice governor to OIC Vice Gov. Gavina to sign papers as e-mailed last Friday is “valid in form and substance”.

“All’s well already so the SP casual employees could already have their salaries,” he said.

Reports said that casual employees in the SP have been already complaining last week over the delayed release of their salaries this month as their contracts have still to be renewed and signed by the vice governor.

However, staff members of the vice governor’s office told Sidlak that release of salaries for casual employees has always been rather delayed every contract renewal month of January and July citing the need to process working papers and requirements which would pass various departments in the Capitol. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News)

OPINION: VG Baby’s good reflex (Look ma, no pork)

BLOGISTA
By Cha Monforte

nov 13

The feathers of one of Tagum’s illustrious sons have been unruffled, to say proverbially. Right after the Davao del Norte’s 2009 annual budget of P624.5 million was approved Monday by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan without still an item Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) which has been considered as the pork barrel fund, Vice Governor Victorio “Baby” Suaybaguio told me the budget is “reflective of the real needs of the province”. He added that he has no regrets that it has no PDAF for the SP members including for himself.

“Mao gyud na ang tama, ang amo lang is to legislate,” he added.

He said that due to limited funds the legislative department is with Governor Rodolfo del Rosario in concentrating funds for his priority programs under the RDR wheels strategy of governance.

He said though that for the next year the SP has also no capital outlay and almost the same budget for the maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) compared to this year.

What a sportsman he is. Well, earlier reports said that the governor’s predecessor ex-Gob YG had reportedly dispensed PDAF for the BMs and VG for them to respond to thousands of requests of small projects, services and solicitations like medicines for the sick and hospitalized, paupers burials etc, etc from barangays and constituents (read: the voters).

It’s what Speaker Boy Nograles asserted in his white paper to justify his giving of pork barrel to the congressmen, like Joe DV. They are also politicians and in a band of legislators also engaged in politics, congressmen also need magnanimity, the pork regardless of the many issues and allegations hounding it. Otherwise, BM Dangpanan is quite right in asking his constituents’ indulgence for giving only a pittance for solicitations or else he goes home with much dwindled take home pay from his P28,340 salary or of the VG’s P29,474 salary, without yet counting their monthly RATA yet, anyway.

Be that at it may, but VG Baby may well be apprised that in the country’s fiscal structure in LGUs it is, as usual, skewed to the executive, the implementor.
As in the approved budget, the Provincial Governor’s Office (PGO) got the usual bulk in terms of personal services (PS, which is for salaries and wages) and MOOE across offices, seizing up about 13 percent or P81,060,617 of the total Capitol’s budget of P624,504,612 for 2009.

The PGO’s budget is further boosted by budget allocations across various fund accounts and services such as the P20.8-million general fund for regular programs and various services listed under the 20-percent development fund.

Under the general public services of the 20-percent development fund, the governor has P17,168,000 for the peace and order program, from which the confidential intelligence fund (IF) is pegged. Well, the IF is computed to be either 30 percent of the total peace and order appropriation, or 1 percent of the annual budget, whichever is lower, or hence Gov. Del Rosario has P5.15 million intel fund for next year.

Besides, the PGO has also P28 million for universal Philhealth coverage
of the P38.7 million for health services, P11 million for other general public services, P61.2 million for various economic services, among others.
Under this traditional fiscal parameter, look ma no pork, VG Baby’s office and the SP offices have only a budget of P15,261,550 and P30,998,586, respectively, or a total of  P46,260,136 for the legislative department’s PS and MOOE. (For online edition, visit my blog at: https://cha4t.wordpress.com, for comments and reactions, email: chamonforte@yahoo.com, or ruralurbanews@yahoo.com)

nov 13

NEWS: P624.5 M Davnor budget for 2009 OKd

Still  no PDAF pork for VG, BMs

nov 11
A total of P624.5 million annual budget for year 2009 was approved yesterday by the Davao del Norte  Sangguniang Panlalawigan without still an item Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) which has been considered as the pork barrel fund of provincial board members.

Vice Governor Victorio “Baby” Suaybaguio, in an interview with Sidlak after the SP budget approval, said that the budget is “reflective of the real needs of the the province” adding that he has no regrets that it has no PDAF for the SP members including for himself.

“Mao gyud na ang tama, ang amo lang is to legislate,” he added.
He said that due to limited funds the legislative department is with Governor Rodolfo del Rosario in concentrating funds for his priority programs under the RDR wheels strategy of governance.

He said though that for the next year the SP has also no capital outlay and almost the same budget for the maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) compared to this year.

In the approved budget, Provincial Governor’s Office (PGO) got the usual bulk of the budget in terms of personal services (PS, which is for salaries and wages) and MOOE across offices, seizing up about 13 percent or P81,060,617 of the total Capitol’s budget of P624,504,612 for 2009.

The PGO’s budget is further boosted by budget allocations across various fund accounts and services such as the P20.8-million general fund for regular programs and various services listed under the 20-percent development fund.
Under the general public services of the 20-percent development fund, the governor has P17,168,000 for the peace and order program, from which the confidential intelligence fund (IF) is pegged.

The IF budget is computed to be either 30 percent of the total peace and order appropriation, or 1 percent of the annual budget, whichever is lower, or hence Gov. Del Rosario has P5.15 million intel fund for next year.

Besides, the PGO has also P28 million for universal Philhealth coverage
of the P38.7 million for health services, P11 million for other general public services, P61.2 million for various economic services, among others.
On the other hand, the Vice Governor’s Office and the SP offices have only a budget of P15,261,550 and P30,998,586, respectively, or a total of  P46,260,136 for the legislative department’s PS and MOOE. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com