ILOILO Mayor Jerry P. Treñas reiterated his plan to increase the honorarium of some 895 barangay volunteer workers from P800 to P1,000 starting in 2010.

Reacting to the proposed resolution calling for increased allowance filed by Vice Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, the city mayor admitted that the vice mayor has not conferred with him regarding the matter, even though they are frequently talking to each other.

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He said the vice mayor may have forgotten the protocol on legislative and executive relationship and the need to coordinate with the city mayor regarding the allowances of workers, which is clearly an executive function.

The City Council promptly deferred the Mabilog proposal in its regular session Wednesday and had asked the vice mayor to first coordinate with the city mayor regarding the matter and to see if there is available budget for it.

"Fiscal management of the City Government is within the powers of the city mayor, and I hope the SP will not encroach in my own jurisdiction. I hope 'pogi' points are not at my own expense," Treñas said.

City councilors Perla Zulueta, Antonio Pesina, and Eldrid Antiquera pointed out the need for proper coordination with the city mayor before proposing a resolution for the increase of allowance of all city barangay service point officers (BSPO), barangay nutrition scholars (BNS), barangay health workers (BHW), and supplemental feeding (SF) workers.

Zulueta said that she does not oppose giving additional allowance but not to a certain sector only but to all City Government casual workers. She said the city has more than 4,000 workers as job hires, casuals, and volunteers on top of the 1,700 regular workers, and these casuals should not be taken out of the proposal.

Mabilog justified his proposal by saying that other City Government casual workers are receiving monthly salary with P800 monthly allowance but not the four barangay volunteer workers.

He said the proposed increase in allowance will help barangay volunteers combat the effects of Typhoon Frank and global economic meltdown and recession.

Pesina said the increase of allowance is at the discretion of the city mayor. He said the local government code provides for it and added that he "does not see any sincerity of the vice mayor for it" but only "pogi" points to increase his own image with the barangay volunteers.