Only 9 of 80 brgys. paid ABC dues

Sunday, March 13, 2011

OUT of the 80 villages in Cebu City, the Association of Barangay Council (ABC) yesterday reported only nine barangays have paid their dues to the organization.

With this, ABC president Michael Ralota said he will implement cost-cutting measures within the organization to save funds.

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Ralota, however, said only a few city’s barangays have paid their dues and have an approved annual budget.

“Di man sila kahatag sa ilang equal and proportionate share sa ABC kung way on approved nga budget kay didto man kuhaon ang kwarta (They cannot give their share to the ABC if they don’t have approved budget),” he said.

Of the City’s 80 barangays, only 22 have an approved annual budget, Ralota said. Of these, only nine have paid their dues.

These barangays include Binaliw (P63,000), Ermita (P94,000), Lorega (P94,000), Lusaran (P58,000), Mabini (P55,000), Pulang-bato (P61,000), and Sambag 1 (P127,000) for the north district. For the south, those who have paid are barangays Bonbon (P70,000) and Pahina San Nicolas (P59,000).

These barangays have also paid their P25,750 equal sharing contribution for the ABC.

Currently, the organization’s total cash on hand is only P912,750, P7 million short of their P8 million annual collection.

In an interview yesterday, City Accountant Arlene Rentuza said most of the barangays don’t have an approved 2011 budget yet since the barangay officials still have to submit their financial reports on the previous year.

“The financial reports are needed in order for their budgets to be approved,” she said.

But City Budget Officer Nelfa Briones said some of the barangays have complied with the financial reports and submitted their proposed budget.

The budget will soon be submitted to the City Council for approval. Once the budget will be approved, Briones said the barangays can pay their dues to the ABC.

But while the barangays have yet to pay, Ralota said he will implement cost-cutting measures to save funds for the association.

Ralota, an architect who sits as an ex-officio member of the council, said he plans to redesign the ABC office at the South Road Properties (SRP) to make it energy-efficient.

He said ABC pays at least P24,000 a month on electricity alone.

He said activities of the ABC, like general assemblies, will no longer be held in beach resorts and hotels, which was the practice of then ABC president and Councilor Eugenio “Jing-jing” Faelnar.

During their first general assembly for 2011 yesterday, Ralota appealed to the barangay captains to help him make ABC sustainable.