GOVERNOR'S DIRECTORY

Region I, Region II, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Region III, Region IV-A, Region IV-B, Region V, Region VI, Region VII, Region VIII, Region IX, Region X, Region XI, Region XII, CARAGA, Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)

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LPP asks status quo on 2008 indicative IRA computations

LPP President Gov. Loreto Leo Ocampos reiterating the call by the affected provinces for DBM to continue to release the provinces’ IRA based on the 2008 indicative figures it gave.

While waiting for the National Statistics Office to complete the adjustments on the 2007 census of population, the Department of Budget and Management should release the IRA of the local government units based on the 2008 indicative figures.

In the last two general assemblies of the League of Provinces of the Philippines held on September 12 and 19, the governors firmed up their stand to ask the DBM to maintain the status quo relative to the remaining IRA releases for 2008.

Relative to this, the LPP collectively asked the DBM to use the 2000 population census in computing the 2008 IRA and requested President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to suspend Proclamation No. 1489 pending the NSO’s review and revision of the 2007 census.

It may be recalled that the DBM recently came out with an adjusted IRA computation using the results of the 2007 census as the factor in computing each LGU’s allocation in the internal revenue share, which resulted to a variance from the indicative figures, computed using the 2000 population census, released earlier this year.

Governors Josephine Sato, Joel Reyes, Erico Aumentado, Ben Evardone and League president Gov. Loreto Leo Ocampos all reiterated the call for DBM to continue to release the provinces’ IRA based on the 2008 indicative figures it gave out last year since these were the same figures used by the LGUs in computing their respective budgets.

“Amending the executive budget is tantamount to disrupting delivery of basic services to our constituents,” Gov. Reyes pointed out.

Gov. Aumentado said that the League should seek a review of the results of the 2007 census of population, as Mabate Gov. Elisa Olga Kho pointed out that the population figures used by the DBM in the computation of her province’s IRA allocation was very much different from the figures of the local NSO there.

Gov. Ocampos said the DBM should defer using the 2007 population census as basis for computing 50% of the LGUs’ IRA share until the NSO completes its review and validation of the results of the recently conducted census.

An emphatic Gov. Sato pointed out that the LGUs should not allow the national government to arbitrarily adjust the IRA after the LGUs have passed and approved the annual executive budget. “We have been too good, too obedient to the powers that be. They should be with us this time.”

Meanwhile, LGUs can expect an 18.75% increase in their IRA from the present P210 billion to P249.9 billion in 2009, which Delantar revealed following a query from Dinagat Islands Gov. Jade Ecleo.

At the same time, Gov. Erico Aumentado suggested for the DBM to reapportion the IRA share of Shariff Kabunsuan, which the latter withheld after the Supreme Court came out with its decision voiding its creation, among the other 80 provinces.

Delantar said the DBM will reapportion the unreleased portion of the IRA of Shariff Kabunsuan once the Supreme Court order becomes final executory.

Both Leyte Gov. Carlos Jericho Petilla and Marinduque Gov. Jose Antonio Carrion both wanted to know how the DBM computes the IRA share of each LGU, with Petilla requesting that the league invite budget officials to the future meetings to discuss the formula in coming up with the IRA.

On the other hand, League executive vice president Joel T. Reyes wanted to know from Delantar whether the national government has set aside funds for the Kilos Asenso,as he pointed out the need for LGUs to benefit from the program ing the peace and order situation in Mindanao and other parts of the country.

Gov. Ocampos said the governors have suggested to Pres. Arroyo, in a meeting with her earlier this month, that those provinces that suffered reductions in IRA be made a major part of the criteria in giving out KA funds.

He also cited the need to make criteria very flexible in order to give wide latitude to the President to decide, and for DBM to surface the criteria.

Dir. Delantar said there are four items in the project menu of the KA, and that the DILG will be assisting DBM in consolidating all the resolutions of the leagues so it can immediately be submitted to the President. (AJS)

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