PIA Press Release
Wednesday, January 04, 2012 City gov’t grateful for the conversion of 3 neighboring municipalities to cityhood status, despite IRA dropby Robert E. Roperos BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 4 (PIA) -- Although the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) of the city government will decrease starting this year, city officials here are still grateful for the conversion of three neighboring municipalities of Caraga Region into cityhood status. Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) City Director Romeo Solis said the city government, through the leadership of Mayor Ferdinand Amante, Jr., is still thankful because the officials of the cities of Cabadbaran, Bayugan and Tandag have exerted much effort for their cityhood conversion. Solis stressed with the conversion of the 16 municipalities nationwide into cityhood status, some P20 million of the IRA of the city government here will decrease annually. In spite of this, Solis said the city government is happy because residents of these 16 new cities will be given the opportunity to boost the economic status of their locality that will lead to the development not only of the area but more importantly, to the residents. Meanwhile, during the press conference held early in December 2011, Mayor Amante emphasized that with the creation of the 16 new cities, the city government here should implement cost-cutting measures so that all their transactions and operations will still be carried out smoothly. However, Amante said because of the IRA’s drop, his administration is forced to lessen job order personnel in the city hall this year. He added job order personnel who are doing well in their job will be retained based on the recommendations of their immediate superior. Those who will not be recommended will be subjected for contract termination. Amante also underscored the need for the city government to coordinate and build networks with other government agencies. He added they will tap the services of the national government agencies whenever necessary. With these developments, the city’s chief executive called on the city hall employees to implement cost-cutting measures to cope with the prevailing condition. “We can do nothing about this except to implement such strategy to cope with the prevailing situation,” Mayor Amante said. (PIA-Caraga) | 
