Escudero ‘equally’ distributes 'pork barrel' to different regions

Saturday, January 21, 2012

FOR transparency, Senator Francis Escudero disclosed his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) for 2011, which he said was distributed to several regions to finance construction, repair and improvement of various projects.

About 68 percent or nearly P136 million of the senator’s P200 million PDAF for 2011 had been distributed equally to over 200 municipalities across the country for the improvement of their public markets.

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“My PDAF is transparent, equally distributed and downloaded to local government units. We are trying to avoid issues of favoring the region or province where I belong or allegations of pocketing funds that are supposed to be for the people,” Escudero said.

Central Luzon was granted the biggest fund among the regions, receiving a total of P43.5 million for various projects in 87 municipalities in the provinces of Bataan, Nueva Ecija and Tarlac.

Escudero also gave Mimaropa Region some P35.5 million for the benefit of all 71 municipalities in the provinces of Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan and Romblon.

Another P35.5 million of the senator’s development assistance funds was distributed equally to 71 municipalities in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay.

According to Escudero, each municipality in Central Luzon Region, Mimaropa Region, Davao Region and Zamboanga Peninsula Region received P500,000 to improve their public markets.

In Davao Region, all 42 municipalities in the provinces of Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur and Davao Oriental equally shared P21 million from the senator's PDAF.

About P13.5 million was also given to 80 barangays in Cebu City for the purchase of eight-seater passenger-type Isuzu multi-cabs, a project which will be implemented by the Department of the Interior and Local Government in the region. At the same time, Escudero provided P1 million in financial assistance to the Cebu City Task Force on Street Children.

Educational institutions also received P19.5 million, among them the Polytechnic University of the Philippines worth P5 million for the construction, repair, rehabilitation and improvement of its various buildings; the University of Southeastern Philippines in Davao City worth P5 million for the completion of a sports and cultural multi-purpose building; and Tacurong City Pilot Elementary School in Sultan Kudarat worth P5 million for the construction of a cultural and sports center.

Southern Luzon State University in Catanauan, Quezon also recieved P2 million for the construction of a school building; P2 million for the construction of a school building of the Kolehiyo ng Pantukan in Pantukan, Compostela Valley; and P500,000 for the improvement of classrooms of the Philippine National Police Academy in Silang, Cavite.

Other projects that received a P5-million allotment each were for the construction of Cabanatuan City-Gen. M. Natividad Road in Nueva Ecija and the construction of the dairy multi-purpose building in Laoac, Pangasinan.

For the improvement of roads and canals, Escudero gave P4 million for the construction of the Laoag-Vintar Road in Ilocos Norte and P3 million each for the construction of farm-to-market roads in Barangays San Antonio, San Jose and San Antonio in Sto. Tomas, Pangasinan; improvement of peripheral canals in Dagat-dagatan Area in Caloocan City; and the construction of River Control Project in Barangay Burabud II, Gandara, Samar.

To complete the Muslim Youth Multi-Purpose Center in Marawi City, the senator provided P2.5 million and P2 million each for the construction, repair and rehabilitation of the Municipal Hall of Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo and the concreting of the main road with canal in Barangay Irisan, Baguio City.

Another P1 million was allocated for the construction of the Pampano farm-to-market road in Mangatarem, Pangsinan, completing the P200 million maximum PDAF earmarked for the senator.

Escudero told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro this was the first time that he was able to provide funds under his PDAF to help various municipalities since the previous administration.

“Under the administration of former President Arroyo, I was an opposition, and the PDAF allotted to me was never released. So as a senator, I cannot give anything to any of the towns, provinces or districts then,” he said.