ED's Programs for Oro's Young People

::Education Establish the Congressional Scholarship Program for poor but deserving students :: Establish the Barangay Library System to afford barangays access to modern library facilities :: Build more classrooms in public schools ::Sports and Recreation :: Improve the Pelaez Sports Center (rubberize the existing tracks and improve its sports facilities) :: Construct multi-purpose covered courts in all barangays, equipped with basketball courts and other sports amenities:: Develop recreational, child-friendly parks in urban barangays :: Improve sports facilities in public schools :: Provide funds for Sangguniang Kabataan's(SK) sports and other Youth-centered development intiatives :: Anti-Drugs :: Pass legislation aimed at improving rehabilitation and after-care programs of drug dependents :: Upgrade facilities at the city's drug rehabilitation center

Campaign Trail

Sunday, April 22, 2007

FAQs: Ed Cabanlas on the Pork Barrel Fund Issue

Question: How would you appropriate your "pork barrel" fund in such a way that it is spent with transparrency?

Answer
: Crowing to high heavens the supposedly above-board use of the pork barrel fund is merely pure rhetorics, lacking fundamental means upon which the public money is spent credibly.

Essentially, utmost transparency in dispensing the Priority Development Assistance Fund or "pork barrel fund" can ONLY be realized through the participation of five sectors: business, NGOs, the academe, government, and the religious sector. We have to understand that when officials enjoy more discretion, they have greater opportunities to demand bribes.

If given the chance by the electorate to serve, I shall appropriate my pork barrel funds to the priority programs enumerated in my platforms of government, with the full participation of these five sectors.

Now that sounds easier said than done. How would I go about it?

First, these five sectors must be empowered to review procurement procedures--as it is a fact that maintaining an ambiguous system of procurement remains an avenue for corruption to flourish.

Second, these sectors will be given full access to monitor services or goods procured by the Congressional Office or the appropriate government agencies.

Through this system, these five sectors can look closely at the type of projects I am implementing, the contractors doing the project, the beneficiaries--most importantly---and the actual project accomplishments.

In my 18 years of being a legislator, I must say that empowering our people to monitor the use of public funds is a key step to deter corruption and pave way for the prosecution of the corrupt.