TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Rep. Allen Jesse C. Mangaoang lauded the city government and the seven municipal governments for heeding his previous appeal for the realignment of the projects under their 20-percent local development funds (LDFs) to conform with the guidelines of labor-based project implementation until the end of the year.
Mangaoang, who chairs the House Committee on national cultural minorities and indigenous peoples, pointed out that by allowing the labor-based project implementation, jobs for displaced construction workers and skilled workers in the barangays need not go out of their places to look for greener pasture as there will be available employment opportunities at home.
“We are elated that the different local governments agreed with our proposal to realign their programmed projects under their 20 percent local development funds to conform with the rules governing the implementation of projects by administration so that the labor will be hired on the project site,” Congressman Mangaoang stressed.
The lawmaker claimed it will still be best for local governments to help their constituents in their areas of jurisdiction by providing them with jobs and livelihood through the different projects funded by the local governments to compel them to stay where they are while awaiting the outcome of the prevailing Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) 2019 global pandemic.
According to him, people should avoid exposing themselves to elements that could lead to their being infected with COVID-19 because aside from being life-threatening, the cost of undergoing the difficult medical treatment is quite expensive, especially that the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC) will no longer fully shoulder the expenses of the patients getting sick of the deadly virus.
Under the labor-based project implementation or the prosecution of projects by administration, the concerned government agencies or local governments will procure the materials needed for the projects while the labor component will be taken from the barangays where the projects are situated.
Mangaoang asserted it will be best for local governments to sustain the provision of sources of livelihood for their qualified residents until the end of the year because the pandemic will not come to an end this year that is why it is important to keep people busy with available jobs through the projects that will be implemented.
He stipulated that by next year, there will be another batch of projects that could be implemented by administration as there will be a new budget for the local government that is why it is best for local governments to calibrate how their labor-based projects will be prosecuted.
Mangaoang underscored that the labor-based project implementation has been a proven economic stimulus which he used as municipal mayor of Balbalan town for three terms and that allowed people to earn their livelihood and prevented then from moving out of the municipality to look for good paying jobs.
By HENT