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Thursday, September 13, 2007
Pampanga mayors want more quarry share
By Marna H. Dagumboy
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Pampanga Provincial Board (PB) has approved on first reading a proposed ordinance allowing municipalities and barangays to get more share from the lucrative sand quarry business.
In a committee hearing last Monday, the PB unanimously approved Ordinance 172, proposed by the Pampanga Mayors’ League led by its president, Lubao Mayor Dennis Pineda.
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Mabalacat Mayor Marino Morales, who was designated by Pineda to represent the PML during the hearing, said the group wants to abolish the P150 administrative fee coming from half of the total P300 quarry fee per truck.
The administrative fee goes directly to the Provincial Government and the remaining P150 from the said total quarry fee per truck is shared by the municipality, barangay, and the Provincial Government.
In the present scheme used to divide the quarry income, the barangay gets 40 percent and the municipality and province get 30 percent each from half of the total quarry fee.
Morales said the total quarry fee and not just half of it should be divided in the same 30-30-40 set-up.
He described the administrative fee collected by the Provincial Government as “unlawful and unconstitutional” because it is not mentioned in the Local Government Code (LGC). He added that Section 138 of the LGC “did not mention such administrative fee, which could be imposed on sand haulers.”
“We must correct what is wrong. Besides, it will improve the delivery of basic social services in the barangay and municipal levels,” added Morales.
The administrative fee was first imposed during the time of then governor now Senator Manuel Lapid and it is still being used by Governor Eddie Panlilio.
Morales said Panlilio’s programs and projects would not be affected because they will still get the largest chunk of the total quarry fee collected in the entire province.
He added that in the proposed ordinance it would allow mayors and barangay leaders to handle a bigger income for their projects in their respective area.
Board Member Tars Halili, for his part, said PML members should prioritize education, health, road repairs, and senior citizens once their proposed ordinance gets final approval from the PB.
Vice Governor Joseller Guiao, who presided over the en banc hearing, and other board members shared the sentiments of Halili. (Sun.Star Pampanga/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Dumaguete. (September 13, 2007 issue)
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