The Barangay Council of 885 is so happy that our 2009 Annual Budget will be released in a week or two. I just want to share a little information on how it goes and where the funds come from.

You see, a Barangay has a budget generated out of the shares from revenues and taxes that it accumulates depending upon its class and/or other factors like the number of business and commercial establishments it has around, responsible taxpayers within, number of constituents or population wise, depressed or not and so on.

If the amount has been determined and deposited by the City Treasurer’s Office of Manila to our accredited Bank we then wait for it to be approved in a regular session of the City Council of Manila. In this session, each Barangay Chairman whose scheduled budget is ready to be approved or in layman’s term “eh pupukpukin na” are called and required to witness the session.

After then we (through our Appropriation Committee are required an appropriation and allocation of these fund based on percentages on projects and the expenses where said funds will go until the Budget Office releases it and will be withdrawn by the Barangay Chairman and the Treasurer in our designated Bank. It doesn’t end here because it needs to be liquidated if the funds were spent on the allocated projects and has to be submitted to the Commission on Audit for file. Lots of paper works needed here so most Barangays hire the services of Contractors tor stipulated fees to ease the load of work.

This is the scene at the session hall I witnessed last Thursday. The Presiding Officer is Vice Mayor of Manila, Isko Moreno. In the center tables are the City Councilors in attendance while the Barangay Chairmen were seated in the gallery surrounding the session hall.