Samaco To Provide Financial Assistance Of P5.5M To Ten Barangays

June 25,2010
Samaco To Provide Financial Assistance Of P5.5M To Ten Barangays
By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.

Maasin City,Southern Leyte-In behalf of the City Govt. of Maasin,re-electionist-elect Mayor Maloney Samaco disclosed in a block time radio program”Maasin City In Action” hosted by Zaldy Olita that he will be providing financial assistance of P5.5M to ten barangays here.
He said that each of the aforesaid barangays shall be going to receive P500, 000.00 each. While barangay Cagnituan shall be receiving P1M.
He intimated that the said amount is a fulfillment of his promise to all Barangay Captains of the 70 barangays comprising the more than 9-year-old Maasin City. This was made during the previous campaign period of the recent first automation polls on May 10, 2010 national and local elections. But only ten barangays were able to meet his condition.
In an interview at his office Samaco said, the procedures in providing the total amount of P5.5M for the aforementioned barangays will be done thru the process of legality. This is to say that concerned barangay officials have to present their respective program of works of their projects.”The presentation of their respective program of works is necessary as COA’s requirements for barangay projects”, he said.”The earlier they can submit their program of works, the earlier they can receive the financial assistance for their projects”.
He emphasized that other city barangays shall also going to receive funds for their projects. But priorities were given to the abovementioned number of barangays where he garnered 80% plus from each barangay’s total number of voters. However, he failed to disclose its respective names since he still has to look for it because it got lost in his file. He was not able to memorize it,he said.
On the other hand, the Mayor divulged that barangay Cagnituan has given him 90% plus of its total number of voting population, the reason why he’s going to grant them the P1M funds for their project or projects.
He clarified that after the submission of their program of works, it will be bided to several bidders in the province. He implied that the City Government will be choosing a bidder with lower price contract but with reliable and guaranteed works.
Samaco further informed that in barangays where he received 75% votes each, they will be his second priority list.”They shall be going to receive also financial assistance for their projects, but in lower amount”, he said. How much that lower amount, the second termer Mayor did not specify.
Moreover, he unfolded that in his oath-taking this coming June 28, 2010(including all the 8 re-elected and two newly-elected City Councilors) at past 8:00a.m. at city gymnasium, he shall be taking his oath of office before Abgao Barangay Captain Nacional “Nikko” Verrano Mercado.
He explained that he prefers to take his oath before the younger Mercado because barangay Abgao was where he got the highest percentage of votes of the entire city’s barangays.”I’m doing this to give due recognition to the efforts of barangay officials of Abgao during the recent first automation local polls”, he said.
Asked if what he will be going to do is a traditional political custom, he answered in the negative.”This is not a traditional practice, but my personal choice, a departure from the common practice where newly-elected officials will take their oath of offices before the judge”, he said.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)