2. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
AS TAXPAYER, WE MUST NOT JUST BE PASSIVE
OBSERVERS BUT WE MUST PLAY AN ACTIVE ROLE IN
HOW PUBLIC FUNDS ARE BEING SPENT BY OUR
ELECTED OFFICIALS. AND WHEN WE ARE
KNOWLEDGEABLE OF WHAT IS GOING ON THEN WE
DECIDE AND ACT BETTER - AND THAT MAKES US
POWERFUL.
3. EVERYBODY KNOWS THE EUF
• THE HIGHLIGHTS WILL BE DISCUSSED
• GO DIRECT TO OUR ADVOCACY WHICH WE HOPE
WILL ALSO BE YOUR ADVOCACY
• SAAN BA NAGSIMULA ANG EUF? HOW DID IT START?
• PEMSEA-WWF CAME TO TOWN – 2004 TO 2007
• TO HELP PG PROTECT AND PRESERVE OUR NATURAL
RESOURCES ESPECIALLY THE MARINE
ENVIRONMENT FROM FURTHER DETERIORATION
AND DESTRUCTION.
• THE MOST IMMEDIATE AND MOST CRITICAL
PROBLEM WAS THE COASTAL POLLUTION IN THE
SABANG AREA.
4. SABANG COASTAL POLLUTION
• COLIFORM
CONTAMINATION
HAS REACHED
CRITICAL LEVEL
• NEED AN SWTP TO
SOLVE THE PROBLEM
• THE LGU HAS NO
FUNDS FOR THE
PROJECT
5. SO THEY ENACTED THE EUF ORDINANCE
• THE EUF WAS COPIED FROM THE EUF OF A DIVE SITE
IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF ANILAO, BATANGAS.
• HOWEVER IN PUERTO GALERA, INSTEAD OF 1
TOURIST ATTRACTION, THE APPLICATION OF THE EUF
WAS FOR THE ENTIRE TOWN.
• INSTEAD OF BEING SITE-SPECIFIC; IT BECAME
MUNICIPAL-WIDE WHICH TRIGGERED
COMPLICATIONS IN ITS IMPLEMENTATION LATER
• THE EUF WAS TO BE THE PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE
OF THE SWTP AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL
PROBLEMS - NOT AT THAT MOMENT BEING
ADDRESSED BY THE LGU DUE TO LACK OF FUNDS
6. THE CRMB TO MANAGE THE EUF, BUT…
• THE ALLOCATION WAS TO BE RECOMMENDED BY THE
CRMB, COMPOSED OF INDIVIDUALS FROM THE
PRIVATE SECTOR WHO PRESUMABLY LOVE THE
ENVIRONMEN. THE CRMB RECOMMENDS, THE SB
WILL APPROVE AND THE MAYOR WILL IMPLEMENT.
• SO WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF THE CRMB IS A
RUBBERSTAMP, THE SB ALSO A RUBBERSTAMP…
WHATEVER THE MAYOR WANTS, HE GETS… THE EUF
BECAME AN EXTRA SOUCE OF FUNDING FOR
WHATEVER SO-CALLED ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS
THAT THE MAYOR WANTS.
• HOW MUCH WAS ALLOCATED FOR THE MAIN REASON
WHY THE EUF WAS CREATED = THE SWTP OF SABANG
= ZERO.
7. In a nutshell – EUF Collection to Disbursement
Tourist 50 pesos MTO
Trust fund CRMB
recommends
SB approves
MD
implements
MD is
CRMB
MD is SB
8. Then Came the MD CONSORTIUM
• IN 2008, THE MAYOR SIGNED AN AGREEMENT WITH THE
CONSORTIUM TO BUILD AN SWTP WORTH MORE THAN 100
MILLION PESOS. THAT AMOUNT MIGHT HAVE ALREADY
DOUBLED BY 2015.
• THE CONSORTIUM WANTED TO BE SURE THAT THE LGU
CAN PAY THE LOAN THAT WILL FINANCE THE PROJECT
AND THAT IT WILL BORROW IN BEHALF OF THE LGU.
• SO THEY DEMANDED THAT THE SANGGUNIANG BAYAN
INCREASE THE EUF FROM 50 TO 120 PESOS PER TOURIST.
THE SB DESPITE PROTEST FROM MANY SECTORS ACCEDED
AND AMENDED THE EUF ORDINANCE. THIS ORDINANCE
HAS NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED AND HENCE NO SWTP
CONSTRUCTION HAS STARTED.
9. AFTER 6 YEARS, NO SWTP, NO WATER
• THE CONSORTIUM HAS REMAINED SILENT AND IT
HAS NOT STARTED THE SWTP AS WELL AS THE
WATERSYSTEM REHABILITATION AND
CONSTRUCTION
• THE COASTAL POLLUTION REMAINS UNABATED,
UNSOLVE AND NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE –WRONG –
PGBTEA CARES, WE CARE
• TED FAILON CAME AND LAMBASTED THE MD AND
OTHER PUBLIC OFFICIALS FOR THEIR INACTION
• THE DENR HAS THREATENED TO CLOSE SABANG
BEACH IF THE COASTAL POLLUTION CONTINUE TO
DETERIORATE. WE NEED TO ACT NOW.
10. PGBTEA GOT HOLD OF THE COA REPORT
• We learned of so many irregularities and possible illegal acts
committed by the MD, Sangguniang Bayan Members and other Local
Officials.
• Millions of pesos are missing from the EUF Collection that were
probably taken by the EUF Collectors
• EUF tickets were being printed by private printers and not
government printer, contrary to COA, DILG MCs.
• COA SAID: The printing of EUF tickets by private printing
establishments subjects the integrity of the EUF system at risk.
Unscrupulous individuals could easily forge and falsify the tickets
that will result to losses of government revenues. This could be
prevented since the forms printed by authorized government printer
have enough built-in security features that are difficult to imitate.
11. More FINDINGS from COA REPORT
• The COA noted that – there were expenditures that were not
authorized objects of expenditures duly approved by the
Sangguniang Bayan per recommendation by the CRMB which
could be tantamount to MALVERSATION OF PUBLIC
FUNDS
• The COA further said - the Municipality to strictly observe that
all expenditures from the EUF collections are related to the
authorized projects as mandated by Section 8 of Municipal
Ordinance No. 06-03 otherwise known as the Puerto Galera
Environmental Users’ Fee System Ordinance
12. WHAT WAS THE REACTION OF THE LGU
• TRANSFER THE EUF FROM THE TRUST FUND TO THE
GENERAL FUND – THEY WILL DO THIS BY AMENDING
THE EUF ORDINANCE
• NOT AMENDMENT BUT TOTAL REPEAL, BECAUSE THE
TRUST FUND ARRANGEMENT IS VITAL TO THE
ORDINANCE. THE EUF WAS MEANT FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS AND NOT TO PAY THE
SALARIES OF MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS
• OUR NATURAL RESOURCES, NATURAL ATTRACTIONS
CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE AND THERE ARE NO
SOLUTIONS BEING DONE FOR THE COASTAL
POLLUTION OF SABANG AND OTHER AREAS
13. THE EUF UNDER MD IS A FAILURE
• WE NEED TO ASK THE COURT FOR A TRO VERSUS THE EUF
COLLECTION OF THE MUNICIPALITY TO STOP THE
ILLEGAL/IMMORAL ACTS BEING COMMITTED
• WE NEED TO LOBBY FOR THE AMENDMENT OF THE EUF
(AND CRMB) ORDINANCE SO THAT THE MISTAKES DONE IN
THE PAST CAN BE RECTIFIED (120 EUF ORDINANCE) AND
THAT A NEW SYSTEM CAN BE INSTALLED WHICH WOULD
MAKE THE EUF MORE TRUE TO ITS PURPOSE.
• INSTEAD OF MUNICIPAL-WIDE, MAKE IT SITE SPECIFIC
• EDUCATE THE CONCERNED OFFICIALS ON WHY WE HAVE
AN EUF SYSTEM IN PUERTO GALERA. IT IS NOT AN ATM
FOR BRGY PROJECTS BUT IT WAS MEANT TO SOLVE
PROBLEMS ALREADY IDENTIFIED…
14. WHAT CAN THE RIGHT EUF SYSTEM DO?
• IT CAN SOLVE THE COASTAL POLLUTION OF SABANG
• IT CAN SOLVE THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS OF
WHITE BEACH
• IT CAN SOLVE THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR TOURIST
SITES LIKE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BAYS, THE CORAL
GARDEN
• IT WILL PREVENT DOUBLE TAXATION AND OVER
TAXATION
• IT WILL PREVENT GRAFT AND CORRUPTION
• WE DESERVE A BETTER PUERTO GALERA AND WE
WILL HAVE A BETTER PUERTO GALERA.
15. OUR ADVOCACY
• PUT A STOP TO THE CURRENT, DEFECTIVE EUF THAT
IS HARMING THE TOURIST INDUSTRY AND HAD
BECOME A MAGNET (AND SOURCE) FOR GRAFT AND
CORRUPTION
• INSTALL A SITE-SPECIFIC, CORRECT EUF SYSTEM
WHICH IS TRUE TO ITS PURPOSE, CAN EASILY BE
MANAGED AND IMPLEMENTED, CAN PLUG-UP
LEAKAGES AND WHICH IS SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE.
• ESTABLISH A NEW CRMB – COMPOSED OF
INDIVIDUALS WHO LOVE THE ENVIRONMENT AND
NOT POLITICAL APPOINTEES
• ALL THIS CAN BE DONE BY AN EFFECTIVE LOBBY
GROUP, LIKE THE PGBTEA WITH YOUR SUPPORT
