AT LEAST P2 trillion in funds supposedly for local government units (LGUs) remain unappropriated as per the so-called Mandanas-Garcia doctrine that allows provinces to be used for their own infra needs and other services, according to Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas.
Mandanas bared that the supposed funds as per the Mandanas-Garcia doctrine that have been decided by the Supreme Court for regional development have remained unacted upon via the budget deliberations in Congress, in a speech before the Manila Rotary Club meeting at the Manila Polo Club.
He said that the LGUs have been empowered to have the funds but Congress continues to take charge in approving the budgets that did not take into account the individual needs of the provinces that were supposed to be deliberated upon by the Regional Development Councils (RDCs).
The RDCs, he said, are the ones that know what infra projects to pursue such as road works and other services but unfortunately it is Congress that makes the appropriations that , almost always, do not take into account what the provinces actually needs.
Unburdening his experience as Batangas Governor, Mandanas said that the province can boast of having the facilities for all of the municipalities and even barangays as their needs are accounted for during the meetings of the RDCs.
He complained of the difficulty that provinces experience in dealing with the national government . For instance, he said that Batangas should already have an international harbor that were approved by the National Economic Development Authority but the budget for such an important economic facility has not happened.
Batangas can now boast of higher revenues with the infrastructure push that the province has undertaken and this has resulted even in the increase in the revenues for the government. He said that the customs zone in Batangas remits much higher revenues than before due to the changes that have been introduced.
During the open forum, he also discussed the problems on corruption which he said can be solved by just applying the four tenets of the Rotary Club. He said what is needed is a day-to-day interaction that will include a communion with God since there is after all karmic justice.
Mandanas said that there are already laws that are in place to tackle the issues on corruption and what is needed is just its implementation. He even said that the Anti-Red Tape Authority need also to go beyond the scope of its operations to ensure economic growth.
The Mandanas-Garcia doctrine calls for the increase in tne Internal Revenue Allotment of provinces . That doctrine, which Mandanas filed with the Supreme Court mandates an increase by 55 percent of the IRA allotments of provinces.
The Batangas governor, who served three terms before and then took a stint in Congress to sponsor the so-called Mandanas ruling, said that the national government should heed the voice of the provinces in setting aside funds for their needs.
What is happening is that the provinces come up with their own plans and programs for their respective jurisdictions but Congress does not take this into account in approving the budget.
Worse, the national budget approves funds that do not actually result in fostering economic impact , via the projects, to the provinces concerned.
