Thursday, October 09, 2008
PB to pass ordinance on Balas funds
By Jovi T. De Leon
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Provincial Board (PB) will hold a committee hearing in aid of legislation Friday to discuss Proposed Ordinance 237, which seeks to appropriate the balance of the General fund for salaries of Biyaya A Luluguran At Sisikapan (Balas) checkers.
Once passed, the ordinance would call for the appropriation of P20,316,673 for the salary and other personal services, overtime pay, and night differentials of quarry checkers of the Provincial Government.
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The PB said the ordinance would also cover the unpaid leaves, overtime, and night differential payments of dismissed members of Balas who are currently picketing at Arnedo Park.
The persons invited to the hearing included former Balas leaders Filologo Rodriguez and Chris Ocampo.
In its letter dated October 7 and signed by Secretary Luis Rivera, the PB stressed matters of great consequence about the ordinance.
It noted that the PB did not deliberately delay with malicious intent the passage of the supplemental budget requested by the Capitol's executive department but that the setback was a result of Governor Eddie Panlilio's failure to attend the hearing on August 15.
No authorized representatives from the executive department were sent to the meeting to justify the proposal.
Aside from this, the letter noted, documents answering the PB's queries were not submitted and that the governor's request, contained in a communiqué dated April 21, 2008, remained unjustified.
This prompted the PB to reset the hearing.
Once passed, the appropriated amount for Balas casual employees would be salaries and wages, P5,703,948; Pera, P18,000; Adcom, P54,000; clothing allowances, P12,000; cash gift, P15,000; bonus, P475,329; GSIS, P684,000; Pag-Ibig, P16,492; Philhealth, P11,250; ECC, P56,612; night differential, P3,233,779; and overtime pay, P10,035,864.
Both the current Balas employees and the protesting Balas boys expressed joy upon receiving the PB's letter and invitation for them to join the hearing.
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Dumaguete. (October 9, 2008 issue)
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