CDF Slashing is not true… Congressman Almonte says!

By PJTremedal, BNDMisOC-CIB/OCM

Oroquieta City-1^st district Congressman Jorge Taghap Almonte vehemently denies that the controversial Countryside Development Fund or otherwise known as the “Pork Barrel” was slashed by the Department of Budget but rather said that it was thoroughly discussed what to do for the 15^th Congress allocation of which other existing funds was declared listed in other national agencies like the DPWH where unimplemented, especially to those projects of former congress members who lost in the last May 2010 election.

Congressman Almonte farther said that, every congressman or representative allocation has two kinds, hard or soft fund allocation/projects, as far as a knew, each congressman allocation is very minimal, for a year each representative will only received 70-M CDF.

Forty Percent of the said CDF will be for hard projects while the thirty percent will go for the soft projects, He said.

Accordingly, soft projects allocation are intended for projects such as scholarships, livelihood for cooperatives, and other projects like financial assistance for Local Government Units which needed assistance from his district representative, and programs like Phil HEALTH.

“With Phil HEALTH for example, my office will definitely coordinates with the provincial and city government in implementing it to those who had not been benefitted yet and they will be prioritized.” Congressman Almonte confirms.

On the said hard projects/allocation, Congressman Almonte declares that as the new congressman of the 1^st district his allocation will start on the month of July, however what transpired on the January to June 30, 2010 allocation of the his predecessor, Congresswoman Marina Clarete has an existing listing of projects, some are ongoing, some are done, some are yet to be implemented.

Almonte farther disclosed that projects that were unimplemented and unobligated are to be withdrawn as per memorandum from the national government to be included in the balancing to lessen the deficit spending to more or less 10-B. He said.

“For us in Mindanao, it is unfair because some of the former members had already implemented some of these projects, in my capacity, I tried to lobby it in the national leadership, but the said 10-B fund is now called congressional insertion which is not illegal, after which it is called congressional initiatives.

This congressional initiative is under some provision and condition of the national laws and it will depend on how it is to be done, such condition that it will raise some revenues and can have a source of funds.

“When I know that it is commonly practiced in congress, I immediately went to DPWH to inquire especially on the unobligated projects of the former congresswoman, but with due respect, I never realigned those projects, because it is her projects and I don’t condone with political motivations to inherit such projects” He adds.

Lately, Congressman Almonte had met his municipal mayors to tell them of what are his plans. The mayors must have an equitable sharing according to him but, there will be some adjustment to be made that if those municipalities who had been deprived of this projects there would be balancing and those who have not received they are to be prioritized.

“Yes, it should be fair in all shares”. He concluded.