Talisay Dads to Get P1M

Despite the scrapping of the controversial Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF),Talisay City legislators can still get their own pork barrel in the amount of P1 million each starting next year.

This was revealed by City budget officer Edgar Mabunay, saying that under the 2014 annual budget draft, all 10 city councilors, the vice mayor and the two ex-officio members (Association of Barangay Councils president and Sangguniang Kabataan president) will get their P1 million share each as “pork barrel.” That is, if they can pass the budget ordinance before the year ends, which is very likely, he said.

Mabunay explained that just like the pork barrel, the P1-million allocation will be intended for soft and hard projects that the legislators will have for their constituents. Reportedly this was as promised to them by Mayor Johnny delos Reyes during his inaugural speech last July.

Mabunay said the recipients of the amount are not allowed to donate a portion of their pork barrel to non-government organizations to avoid what happened in the national level.

For next year, Mabunay said the city has over P600 million to spend.