Sen. Angara reiterated his call to improve RPs barangay funding

By Jason de Asis


SENATE OFFICE, Manila, October 28, 2010-Senator Edgardo J. Angara reiterated his call to improve the flow of resources and funding of the Philippines smallest political units as the barangay elections wind down to a close.

 

To be able to perform their duties and provide services to their inhabitants, the veteran senator said the barangays are very important units of the local government units (LGUs), since they have direct ties to the communities and the need sufficient funding.


“The fifty percent (50%) share in the community tax which is known as Senate Bill No. 2039 of the 15th Congress seeks to accelerate the process of allocating funds to the barangay through retaining half of the collected community tax,” adding that the Section 164 of the Local Government Code of 1991 provides the barangays to a share of up to fifty percent (50%) of its community tax collection.


“The system we have now where the barangay needs to ask the higher government for its share is very inefficient. This causes delays in the barangay’s projects and services, and results in a generally poor opinion towards the leaders of the community,” Sen. Angara lamented.


This bill seeks to rectify the situation by amending Section 164, so that the barangay treasurer would ba able to automatically keep their 50% share of the community tax collected and remit the remaining funds to the city or municipality after the end of the month.


The bill (then called Automatic Retention by the Barangay Share in the Community Tax) was referred to the Committee on Local Government and the Committee of Ways and Means after the first reading during the 15th Congres and then filed in the beginning of the 15th Congress and is awaiting discussion. (Jason de Asis)