Iloilo league gets flak for plan to hold convention in Manila

ILOILO CITY—The provincial chapter of the League of Barangays (villages) in Iloilo has drawn flak for its plan to hold its  convention in Manila amid the massive devastation of Super Typhoon “Yolanda” in the province.

An organization composed of survivors and those helping them decried the “unnecessary spending” for the meeting set to be held  at Mall of Asia in Pasay City, which it said could be held anywhere in the province.

“It’s unconscionable and the height of insensitivity to spend public funds for an out-of-town meeting while victims are still crying out for food and livelihood assistance,” Hope Hervilla, coordinator of Task Force Buliganay-Panay, told the Inquirer.

Hervilla said money spent for the meeting would be better spent for the replacement and repair of houses, farmlands and fishing boats that were damaged or destroyed in Nov. 8 last year.

“Where are our priorities? Is it holding a meeting in a giant mall in Manila when thousands still do not even have homes and livelihood?” she said.

Provincial Board Member Jeneda Salcedo-Orendain, president of the chapter, could not be reached through her mobile phone. Repeated calls to her office at the provincial capitol were unanswered.

The league, with 1,721 members, plans to hold its convention at  SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City on March 22 to 24. The registration for each participant will reportedly cost about P16,000.

The participants are also expected to be given per diems from their respective municipal governments.

The northern towns of Iloilo were among the worst hit by the supertyphoon that battered the Visayas on Nov. 8 last year.

The supertyphoon left 131 dead, 12 injured and four missing in Iloilo. It also destroyed 83,327 houses and damaged 85,622 others.

Assistance, mostly from international and local private organizations and donors,  has been given to the victims but even international relief organizations admit that more assistance is needed for the victims to recover.

Even Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor has advised the village chiefs to hold their convention in the province to save on expenses.

The late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo issued a memorandum circular on April 25, 2011, advising local government units and officials to observe austerity in holding meetings and other activities.

Robredo, in his memorandum, had “strongly discouraged” local government officials and employees from conducting training sessions, seminars and meetings “outside of their territorial jurisdictions.”

The practice of holding meetings and seminars outside of the jurisdiction of the officials and using government funds “impact on local government units’ [capacity] to finance desirable development programs,” according to Robredo in his memorandum.