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South Poblacion Baranggay Chairperson Ledai Aler (left) at work during a lockdown in her area, checking the papers of a transient.

22 barangay leaders, staff ignored in frontline incentive cash

By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

Some 22 Mambulao baranggay leaders and their staff are up in arms for missing out on the cash incentives for frontliners enforcing pandemic protocols.

A frontline worker at Sta Rosa Norte checks the temperature of a locally stranded person last year.

They got hold of five sheets of frontline incentive payroll for only five chairpersons and their staff out of the 27 barangays in Mambulao.

The payroll of the Municipal Health Office (MHO) named only five chairpersons, namely Jesse Verdadero of Bagong Bayan; Ledai Aler, South Poblacion; Rolly Cervantes, Luklukan Sur; Jerry Furiscal, San Rafael; and Ricardo Maderal, Dayhagan.

The cash incentives for the five barangays with 123 personnel, including the chairpersons, amounted to Php469,636.14.

Each worker was to receive Php136.36 a day for 28 days, for Php3,818.18. With 21 persons being paid in each barangay, the total incentive payments would be Php80,181.78.

However, the lucky barangay personnel are yet to collect their money. Only 14 so far were paid.

Digital copies of the payroll sheets were leaked to the barangay heads through their group chat (GC) on Friday, August 6.

A copy of the entire payroll was forwarded to MWBuzz on the same day.

The payroll sheets have been initialed by Dr. Antonio C. Fulong, municipal health officer, and Mayor Ariel M. Non.

“Without their okay, the payroll won’t be funded,” a source told MWBuzz.

A baranggay captain chatted with Mayor Non on Messenger, asking him about the payroll.

“He just told me, ‘Dr. Fulong can answer all that…’”

“Best defense niya si Fulong… kaya ipinasa sa kanya.”

The five barangay chairpersons on the payroll have remained silent.

A baranggay leader told MWBuzz that the favored baranggay heads are “mayor’s boys”.

A baranggay captain who missed out on the incentive money told MWBuzz that it looked like the payment system was a “random” affair.

“I had only one worker in the payroll – my night security man… the rest of my over 30 personnel were not included.”

The 22 barangay chairpersons wanted the Sanguniang Bayan to look into the anomaly.

One chair has accused the mayor of “favoritism”.

“All of us in the barangay are working hard to help enforce the pandemic protocols day and night.”

A lady barangay chair told MWBuzz: “Ako, kahit barangay kapitan ako, nagtatrapik ako sa gitna ng araw at sa gitna ng buwan…"

Says one barangay chair: The Sanguniang Bayan should look into the system of payment by the MHO.

“It’s now the chance for Councilor Jason Areola or Councilor Grace Villablanca to look into the case…" 

Under the frontline system of enforcing Covid-19 health restrictions, all kagawad, office staff, and purok chairmen are mobilized.

“This way, our response to every situation in our barangay is quick and with direction,” says a baranggay captain.

The payroll was very fresh when “intercepted” as there were only 14 who signed to collect, out of the 123 payees.

The MHO gives cash incentives to frontliners enforcing Covid health protocols for the extra job they do in the fight against the Covid-19 crisis in Mambulao.

 

One of the paytroll sheets leaked to MWBuzz. Please see the other payrolls in the story KWENTUHANG PABIRIK posted in this edition.