MANKAYAN, Benguet – Mayor-elect Frenzel Ayong is currently studying the need to increase the aid being provided by the municipal government to the barangays and the local police force for inclusion in the annual budget of the municipality.
Ayong disclosed that at present, the local government only gives financial assistance to its barangays to the tune of P20,000 annually, and the Mankayan Municipal Police Station with an annual aid of some P200,000.
“We have to empower our barangays and the local police force who are partners in defining the growth and development of our beloved municipality. We have to closely work with them so that can bring the government’s services closer to our constituents pursuant to our campaign motto,” Mayor-elect Ayong stressed.
He reported there are already figures on the possible increase in the aid of the local government to the barangays and the local police force but the same will be announced once he assumes his post as the town’s local chief executive by noon of June 30, 2019.
According to him, the grant of the increase in aid to the barangays will transcend politics because it is important for the people to feel the presence of the government through the provision of basic services right in their barangays, while the municipal government will take care of the things that could not be addressed by the barangays.
He learned that the P20,000 aid to barangays from the local government has not been increased for quite some time and his administration will make sure to increase this as an added motivation and inspiration to barangay officials and residents to be partners in sustaining the growth and development of the municipality.
Under the provisions of the Local Government Code of the Philippines, local governments are mandated to provide financial assistance to the barangays in amounts not less than P5,000 for the use by the smallest political subdivision in the implementation of their priority development projects and assist the government in improving the delivery of basic services to the people.
Ayong urged the officials and the people of Mankayan to start getting their acts together and work towards the betterment of the municipality with the political intramurals already over and that the voters have spoken on who will be the next leaders of the locality for the next term.
He underscored he needs the support of the people in moving the municipality to greater heights to become one of the centers of growth and development in northern Benguet because of the bright potentials of agriculture and tourism.
Ayong added he will try to institute the needed reforms in running the affairs of the local government for the people to feel the significant change on the way officials and employees deal with the concerns that they are bringing to the attention of the concerned offices that need to act on the same.
Ayong is one of the six new local chief executives in Benguet who were elected by their constituents to be the next leaders of their municipalities for the term 2019-2022.
By HENT
