THE Central Visayas Regional Development Council (RDC 7) is set to endorse the request of the Provincial Government of Siquijor to use its allocation from the Energy Regulations 1-94 funds for its coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) response.
Siquijor’s share from the ER 1-94 funds amounts to P3.044 million.
Gordon Alan Joseph, chairperson of the Infrastructure Development Committee of RDC 7, said Siquijor wants to use P1 million to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) for its medical frontliners and the remaining P2.044 million for the procurement of testing kits as well as the payment for the conduct of the tests.
During the RDC 7 full council meeting Friday, Sept. 18, 2020 via videoconference, Joseph said Siquijor’s request will be endorsed to the Department of Energy (DOE).
He recalled that RDC 7 also endorsed on June 1, 2020 similar requests from the Provinces of Bohol and Negros Oriental.
ER 1-94 compensates local government units that host energy resources or energy generating facilities.
The funds are used to finance electrification, development and livelihood, and health and environment projects.
On April 6, 2020, however, DOE issued a circular allowing the use of these funds for Covid-19 response.
In June, Joseph said the DOE informed the council that the Electrification Fund (EF) had reached P19.31 million while the Development and Livelihood Fund (DLF) amounted to P12.7 million and the Reforestation, Watershed Management, Health and/or Environment Enhancement Fund (RWMHEEF) stood at P11.77 million.
These are distributed based on an RDC-approved allocation formula.
Joseph said Bohol had requested that it be allowed to spend its allocation from ER 1-94 funds amounting to P1.173 million for the procurement of personal protective equipment, rapid antibody and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test kits, and universal transport medium.
Negros Oriental sought to use P5.22 million for the purchase of RT-PCR test kits and universal transport medium. (WBS)