Despite typhoon’s scourge, Macanlalay spends calamity fund wisely

Calasiao Mayor Mark Macanlalay (2nd from left)
pressed flesh with  Senator Jinggoy Estrada during
his oath taking as reelected hizzoner of the town.

By MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

 CALASIAO – Although 60 to 70 percent of this town has been flooded, the mayor here observed fiscal discipline on the appropriation of the calamity fund to aid those residents who were affected by Typhoon Maring.
 Mayor Mark Roy Macanlalay said he only used P1 million from the P7 million calamity fund. The P7 million composed five percent of the yearly municipal budget. “We control the expenditure of the calamity fund,” he said.
He cited that despite the P1 million he spent, this first class town became a recipient of relief goods from the regional and provincial governments, and non government organizations.
 He said he finds it wiser to spend a million of pesos from the remaining four million pesos calamity fund because aid outside of this town kept arriving after he reported to concerned offices what happened here . ”Basta tayo, submit lang tayo ng report sa region. Forward nila sa national may dumarating at least hindi natin inuubos (iyong calamity fund).
 He said he even instructed his village chiefs to use their funds frugally.
 Of the P7 million calamity fund, this town has spent already P4 million. P3 million of this expenses went as a counterpart fund with the Office of the Civil Defense for the construction of flood controls in Barangays Quesban and Talibaew.
“We have P3 million left to boot before the end of this year,” Macanlalay cited.
 He said those affected by the flood brought by Maring were farmlands in some portions of Barangays Cabilu-caan, Ambonao, and San Miguel.
 “Pero ang greatly affected itong mga nasa gilid halimbawa (barangays) Talibaew, Poblacion East, Poblacion West, Gabon, Lasip, San Vicente, Banaoang, Mancup, Dinalaoan, Nalsian, parts of sitio Buenlag, Macabito, sitio na lugar na malalalim ay Malabago, Doyong, Nagsaing, Ambuetel”.
Macanlalay said that not all of these villages were underwater. “Only some portions of these villages were affected by floods”.