Vice President in Baguio, Benguet visit: Binay presses more internal revenue allotment for LGUs

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Vice President Jejomar Binay was coy every time  he was being addressed  “Mr. President” by local officials during his visit in nearby Baguio City and this town last week even as he told Cordillera officials he would press more share of local government units nationwide from internal revenue allotment (IRA) to  spur economic growth in the countryside.

Here in in this Salad Capital of the country Tuesday. La Trinidad Mayor Edna Tabanda called him “Apo Presidente” as she welcomed the visiting official at the closed function area of the town hall.

The local chief executive reiterated it was not a slip of the tongue and announced that she supports Binay's presidential dream.

She addressed Binay as "President" at least three times.

Binay, for his part, was very coy and shook Mayor Tabanda’s hands in obvious approval.

Ironically, the event's lady host addressed Binay thrice as "Mr. Vice Mayor."

The host explained that her nervousness in the presence of Binay is making her call the second highest official the land as "vice mayor."

In the end, however, the lady host also addressed Binay as "President Jejomar Binay."

As the vice president addressed the audience, Binay alleged that the camp of presidential wannabe, incumbent Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, is monitoring his visits.

Binay lost to Roxas in Benguet in the 2010 vice presidential election.

“I lost in La Trinidad, and to tell you honestly in all towns in Benguet,” the vice president said.

The next day in Baguio City, Binay pressed more share of local government units nationwide from internal revenue allotment (IRA) to  spur economic growth in the countryside.

“Less developed local governments must be given higher IRA by the national government in order to allow the beneficiaries to bankroll the implementation of more infrastructure projects that will significantly contribute in increasing economic activities that will trigger more jobs and translate to improved living condition of the people,” Binay told the media in Baguio Wednesday .According to him, the current set up where lower class towns and provinces receive smaller IRA is depriving local governments to grow along with developed municipalities and provinces leaving huge number of poor families in the countryside.

Binay recommended to the Office of the President through the Department of Budget and Management and Congress of the Philippines to reassess distribution of the IRA to give higher allocation for less developed local governments and allow developed ones maximize utilization of sources of income that will cover the amount to be deducted from their existing share.

One of the major interventions that must be done by the national government, Binay said, is to increase allocation for development projects to less developed local governments to open areas for investments that will make them financially stable.

“We need to empower less developed local governments to be vibrant in terms of development by giving them substantial share from the meager resources of the national government and allow them to bankroll their priority projects because they actually know what they need in order to allow them to move out from the shackles of poverty,” Binay added.

Aside from increasing their share from IRA for development projects, Binay said increasing the IRA of poor local governments will also translate to better delivery of basic services that will translate to improved productivity of people allowing them therefore to earn income to improve their living condition.

In the case of developed local governments, Binay urged local officials to improve their efficiency in collecting the necessary taxes due the host communities so that they will be able to make their respective barangay, municipality, city or province develop into commercial centers that will help in eradicating poverty in the countryside.

Binay said local governments must learn to establish links with national and international partners to work out agreements that will guarantee influx of technical and financial assistance to the host and neighboring communities to augment the existing resources of the local governments in delivering sufficient services to the people with the mission of improving the living condition of the people.