By GINA DIZON

SAGADA, Mountain Province—The Sangguniang Bayan in their regular meeting here last week reiterated their position withdrawing their  signatures in a resolution authorizing Mayor Eduardo Latawan to enter into a Memorandum of  Agreement (MOA) between the Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resource and Management Project (CHARMP) and the Local Government Unit and release of CHARP counterpart funds, as they  requested funding agencies to  review and  investigate  the project.

The  project, Improvement of  Buasao Irrigation System and Construction of  Tanulong  Tribe Irrigators Association Water Services, is funded by P18 million from the priority development assistance funds of Senator Teofisto Guingona III and P18 million  from CHARMP. The project which is currently  undergoing construction  was awarded to  Cotabato-based FFJJ Construction in a bidding done  December last year.

The resolution forwarded that the project ends at sitio Capinitan instead of the intended south central and eastern barangays of Sagada. The project only reaches three northern barangays of Madongo, Bangaan and  irrigation system for Tanulong’s rice fields instead of 15 villages as initially planned.

Among technical inconsistencies, the  legislative body noted discrepancies in number of proposed tanks as to identified sites, and utilization instead of more economical and durable materials such as plastic pipes.

Earlier, a meeting among  some barangay officials  and residents of Poblacion  Sagada forwarded their  initiatives to do  the P36 million  Buasaw water project  instead. They called for the redesign and  re estimation of the  project  plan in order that the project  reach their respective barangays. Balugan barangay captain John Polon said  barangay  constituents can do ‘galatis’ (voluntary work) in the implementation of the said project.

Latawan explained in a separate forum that  plans were changed from an earlier intention to provide water to  Poblacion  and nearby barangays using a two – inch in diameter to  six-inch diameter pipes to  accommodate  the Tanulong  irrigation system thus the  lack of funds to reach earlier intended beneficiaries. Other funds shall be  sourced out to continue the P36 million where it stopped  in order to reach intended beneficiaries, Latawan said. 

Vice Mayor Richard Yodong however forwarded that the said change of two to six inch diameter pipe was not made known to the  legislative body. He forwarded his reservation that  revised  estimates  be  reviewed. # nordis.net