P186M Bayambang Budget to fund Big Projects

BAYAMBANG, Pangasinan - Move over first class towns of Pangasinan! This burgeoning town is coming with a mammoth P186 million 2014 annual budget appropriation.

The proposed budget, one of the biggest among the 44 - town province, waits final review at the Sanggunian Panlalawigan (provincial board) in Lingayen town after Mayor Ricardo Camacho signed it into law when the Sanggunian Bayan (town council) endorsed it to his office for signature.

“Ang IRA (Internal Revenue Allotment) namin umaabot ng P150 million tapos iyong local revenue collection  namin estimated amount (this year) umaabot ng P36 million kaya nag proposed tayo ng P186 million”.

Camacho explained that the factors used to boost this town's allocation from the IRA from national government are its huge area and its robust population.

The budget of this town this year is P165 million.

“That IRA has been good as it funds a lot of improvements in our town,” he said in the vernacular.

The huge appropriation jibes to the different ambitious projects and programs Camacho prepares for next year.

“Marami kaming gagawin doon sa Annual Investment Plan like livelihood and celebration of 400 years (as this town used to be a revolutionary capital of President Emilio Aguinaldo during the Filipino-American War). Siempre kailangan natin ang malaking pondo iyong highlights ng celebration natin sa Malangsi Festival”.

Camacho said the leadership of the Guinness World Records (GWR) has just confirmed the bid of this town for an eight (8) kilometer longest grill in the celebration of its Malangsi Festival on April 8-14, 2014.

“To break the world record na hinahawakan by Turkey na umabot ng 6.2 kilometer. Hindi ito dapat more than the recent effort. Ang aming gagawin ay medyo madugo. So far we are already in the planning stage. Pini-prepare namin kaya medyo maraming dapat ihanda and ni-prepare”.

In the past Dagupan City in Pangasinan broke the world record in the GWR in 2003 with its almost 1.8 kilometers longest grill where 10,000 pieces of milkfish placed simultaneously on 1,000 units of grills measuring one meter long each.

This town will be grilling fresh water fishes for its GWR attempts.

Camacho said the progress this historic town savors under his administration since he became the mayor here in 2007 was due to the cooperation of his constituents.

He cited the plaudits this town reaped for two consecutive years after the Department of Interior & Local Government awarded it with the Seal of Good House Keeping.

“Hindi namin nakuha iyan ng two consecutive years kung hindi maganda ang pamamalakad natin sa pagpapatakbo ng local government kaya marami tayong improvement and development dahil sa pag-aayon at pagamit ng pondo ng bayan sa tamang proceso,” the soft spoken Camacho stressed. (MCO)