Barangay Development Program (English)

Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Manila

Fourteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. _______

________________________________________________________________________

Introduced by Honorable Eduardo Nonato N. Joson
________________________________________________________________________


AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A TWENTY (20) YEAR BARANGAY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representative of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1.Title - This act shall be known as “ THE BARANGAY DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2007’

SECTION 2. Declaration of policy- The State recognizes the Barangay as the basic local government unit with a primary role in the delivery of services to the citizens. Towards this end, the State shall provide the necessary funding to accelerate the development of all Barangays within a given period and thus achieve its primary mandate.

SECTION 3. Barangay Development Program - The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in coordination with the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) shall formulate, after due consultation with the Pambansang Liga ng mga Barangay, a twenty (20) year development program for all the barangays. Said program shall include among others:
1. A priority listing as to which barangays shall be programmed within a given time frame
2. Common program for all barangays
3. A specific program for the different barangays
4. Use/Allocation of the seed fund
5. Oversight/Audit/Accountability function of the DILG and the barangays
6. Corrective/Remedial measures for the program
7. Other components of the program as may be determined by the DILG and NEDA.

SECTION 4. The Barangay Development Fund - A Seed fund of Twenty Billion Pesos (Php 20,000,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated for the accelerated development of all barangays in accordance with the national master plan for the said barangays. Said fund shall be sourced from savings in the annual budget or from any available funds as certified by the national treasurer. Twenty Percent (20%) of all Expanded Value – Added Tax (EVAT) collections shall also be set aside to augment/complete said seed fund.

SECTION 5. Implementing Rules and Regulations – The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in coordination with the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) shall promulgate the rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act within sixty (60) days from approval hereof.

SECTION 6. Separability Clause – If any part, section or provision of this Act is held invalid or unconstitutional, other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 7. Repealing Clause – All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or other issuances inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SECTION 9. Effectivity – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved.

























Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Manila

Fourteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. _______

________________________________________________________________________

Introduced by Honorable Eduardo Nonato N. Joson
________________________________________________________________________

EXPLANATORY NOTE


The Barangay is the basic political unit of our nation. The Barangay serves as the primary planning and implementing unit government policies, plans, programs, projects and activities in the community. It is the most direct avenue for the delivery of services to the citizenry.

Under the local government code, the present focus of development in our country are the cities and municipalities. A major part of the allocation from our internal revenues are earmarked for infrastructure development in cities and municipalities. Such policy marginalizes the development of the barangay, ultimately impeding the delivery of basic services to the people. Consequently, the impetus to national development is affected and almost all theory of development especially the “Trickle-down theory” is just that, a trickle development.

There are more than 40,000 barangays in our country. With this proposed measure, the Government shall appropriate a seed fund of Twenty Billion Pesos (Php 20,000,000,000.00) to accelerate the development of all our Barangays as the primary political-economic unit of our nation within a 20 year period. A continuing development program for all barangays shall be undertaken in accordance with a national master plan for the development of all barangays. The program shall address the different needs of every barangay from physical infrastructure to economic infrastructure which shall ultimately make the barangay an economic unit and thus become the primary engine of growth for national development.

Approval of this bill is earnestly sought,


EDUARDO NONATO N. JOSON