Gov. Tan willing to compromise, sluggish committee hearing process criticized

By GINA DEAN-RAGUDO, Samar News.com
August 22, 2010

CALBAYOG CITY  –  While the committees (laws & legal matters and budget & appropriations) with the presence of concerned government agencies are halfway scrutinizing the items enumerated in the 2010 budget, minority members of the legislative body doesn’t seem to recognize its importance.

In the recent press conference initiated by the governor, she said that she was amenable to the budget created by her mother, now Samar 2nd District Rep. Milagrosa Tan as she perceived it to be in consistent with the programs and projects of her administration.

In fact, she underscored her willingness to discuss the immediate passage of the budget with the majority and very enthusiastic to make compromises. “Gusto ko makig-istoryahan majority board members kay mayda ako liwat igpapahamtang nga mga amendments. Kay kun mag-utro pa ngani, it will take time. Nanhihinayang ako han panahon nga nakaghatag na kunta kita serbisyon gadto han katawhan. Now, back to zero na liwat kita. Why not ipasayon an mga butang? Diri na ma undergo another process na naman,” she stressed.

Aside from the lady governor, both Vice-Governor Stephen James Tan and ABC Pres. Joseph Escober were becoming impatient of the situation, stipulating that said budget had undergone hearings attended by each department; been accompanied by its Annual Investment Plan (AIP) duly approved by the Provincial Development Council.

Provincial Legal Officer Anastacio Yong added that the budget submitted to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan is an unfinished business. It would be unreasonable for the majority to presume things – doubting the intentions of the governor in parallel with the previous administration.

Apart from the 2010 budget, Governor Tan was also expecting that she be given a “blanket authority” to enter into contract with any agencies in behalf of the province. But the majority members appear to be evasive in not granting such request.

Based on her statements last Samar Day, while she was not given an authority, the DOH grant for P17M for Calbayog District Hospital, P3M for the Samar Provincial Hospital and P17.8M for Basey Hospital respectively, would not be received.

In disparity with the Tan and Escober’s intolerance was the declared optimism of Board Member Juan Latorre when he asked a considerable forbearance from his slate.

“Ini yana nga gin-gagamit nga re-enacted budget han 2009-2010, diri iton kasal-anan han yana nga SP. Sala iton han una. Kay an una, allergic hin budget making. Ini yana, mga reasonable ini nga kaapi han SP. Diri ito tuod an mga sabi-sabi nga diri hira naruruyag nga aprubahan an budget. Wrong ito! Naruruyag iton hira. Lugod nagka conduct hin budget hearing kay bag-o pala hira nga set han SP. Tagi la kami han baga gutiay nga panahon kay matuhay ngani iton nga budget hearing issusumeter na ito han session ha SP. Ciento por ciento nga aaprubahan namon an 2010 budget kay nagsaragbot na kami han taga 1st district nga ira ig-iendosar an approval han budget. Kay amo la ito an solusyon han ngatanan nga problema, an approval han 2010 budget.”

The governor on the other hand justified her definition of “employment agency” which she refers to the provincial capitol. With the non-passage of the 2010 budget, the administration would just be appropriating the PS with no output or non-implementation of the programs and projects since the 2008 re-enacted budget being utilized by the province would not be enough to subsidize every undertaking.

“All the programs and projects nga incorporated in the 20% development fund, diri naton ma re-release. Meaning, PS na la an aton mahahatag. So what’s the point of granting them salaries? Asya kita magsusweldo kay magtatrabaho hira! An question, hain an pundo para matrabaho nira an programa nga aton igpapaabot?”