Robredo's 3rd district gets P1.4B in 2014 projects

NAGA CITY -- The third district of Camarines Sur, represented by Congresswoman Leni Robredo, got at least P1.4-billion worth of projects in 2014 from the national government even the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) has been scrapped, as it was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Before the scrapping of the PDAF or pork barrel, a congressman/woman received regular discretionary funds of P70 million per year for projects.

Robredo, the Liberal Party provincial chair in Camarines Sur and widow of late Jesse M. Robredo, did not want to own the initiative on project allotments for her district. She said it was with the participation of national agencies. “We only ensured that all the needs (in the district) were included in the General Appropriations Act of 2014.

What we did was to prepare letters for the city and municipal officials, informing them of all the national projects that will reach them,” the lady solon explained.

Robredo, a member of the House committee on appropriations, figured out that it was not in her interest to say that she was the one who initiated to get all the projects allotted in her district. She said she wanted to tell the local officials to be proactive in the project, meaning they should involve themselves and participate in the implementation.

The third district of Camarines Sur is composed of Naga City and the towns of Bombon, Calabanga, Camaligan, Canaman, Magarao, Ocampo and Pili, where Robredo represents the almost half a million constituents.

According to the list of projects for the third district of Camarines Sur, some P500 million worth of projects are to be implemented in Naga City with allocation for construction/rehabilitation of the Naga River flood control project worth P150 million.

There are at least 40 projects which include flood control, multi-purpose building, construction of Calabanga District Hospital, Sabang Fishport, widening of Pili diversion road, farm-to-market road and other road projects.

Robredo said the basis of the projects in the third district of Camarines is the General Appropriations Act and the National Expenditure Program. She said the projects in her district were recommended by officials of the local government units (LGUs) even as, she said, it did mean that she solicited all the projects because she became a member of Congress only in the second half of 2013.

Robredo did not want to claim credit to all the projects in the third district of Camarines Sur, saying the national agencies have identifi ed their projects in the district. “For example, the classrooms and school buildings were identified by the Department of Education. The credit is theirs,” she illustrated.

Robredo said she did not want to happen that the projects given to the LGUs will be used for patronage politics. She said her role in the delivery of projects in her district is that she is a member of Congress that approves the national budget so that she made it sure that the needs of her constituents will be funded. - (PNA)