CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Provincial Board (PB) on Monday deferred the proposed appropriation of some P3 million for “Youth Development Program” in the 2010 budget.
This, after Board Member John Eric Tumang, provincial president of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), questioned the governor’s creation of the Provincial Youth Welfare Organization (PYWO).
Tumang said the PYWO created by Governor Eddie Panlilio is allegedly designed “to explicitly serve his (Panlilio) own purposes and political advocacy.”
The board member suggested to the PB the deferment of the proposed appropriation of P3,329,880 for “Youth Development Program” in the 2010 budget.
Vice Governor Josller “Yeng” Guiao, for his part, told Sun.Star Pampanga that the deferment was to give time for Panlilio to respond to the question raised by Tumang in his letter to the PB last week.
Guiao said Tumang’s concern is bounded on the belief that only the SK is the lawful recipient of funding from the Provincial Government and not any organization set up by the governor.
“The PYWO is under the office of the Provincial Public Employment Services Office (Peso) that casts a lot of doubts on the matter. We have asked Luningning Vergara, officer-in-charge of Peso to shed light on the matter but they could not give us confident answers as they are merely following orders,” Guiao said.
He said the matter should be clarified first by the executive department before the PB could act on the budget for the Youth Development Program.
Guiao said they have called Panlilio’s attention on the matter and that they expect clearer answers in the coming days.
Sun.Star tried to get Panlilio’s comments but he was unavailable as of this posting.
Meanwhile, some SK staff at the Capitol alleged that the PYWO’s latest activity – the Fun Run 2010 dubbed as “Pulayi Para King Panyulung” - held at different municipalities of the province was just a “promotional undertaking of Panlilio,” who is seeking re-election.
The Fun Run started in Magalang town last January 24 and would culminate at the City of San Fernando on February 14. (Ian Ocampo Flora)