Kidapawan mayor seeks authority to enter into P140 million equipment loan

KIDAPAWAN CITY – Kidapawan City Mayor Joseph Evangelista has sought authority from the legislative department to allow him to enter into a loan agreement worth P140 million, which he explained was intended to purchase at least 15 units of heavy equipment for road repair and rehabilitation, garbage collection, and maintenance of sanitary landfill.
Evangelista said he submitted his request to the Sanggunian on April 18 but still anticipates for the approval.He explained that if the council grants the loan, the city government will purchase for road repair and rehabilitation a unit of road roller estimated at P9.5 million 8 units of six-wheeler dump trucks worth P60.8 million 2 units of 10-wheeler dump trucks, P20 million and 2 units of backhoe loader, P28 million.

The LGU is also set to purchase a meat van worth P3.7 million to be used by the City Veterinarian Office and the city’s mega market.The city veterinary, according to Evangelista, has been granted a financial assistance amounting to P10 million for the establishment of a Class AA abattoir or slaughterhouse. As part of its required support facility is the availability of a meat van, thus, our request for the acquisition of one, he stressed.

The LGU also intends to purchase an excavator with dozer blade to maintain the sanitary landfill located at Barangay Onica, this city.Evangelista, in an interview with Catholic-ran DXND, said that the inadequacy of serviceable heavy equipment is one of the main causes of the delay of the government’s road rehabilitation and maintenance operations.The mayor, who seeks for a higher post in 2019, has also allayed fears that the money would be intended for the 2019 elections. No, that can’t be. Whether there is an election in 2019 or none, we will pursue this plan. We just hope the Sanggunian grants our request. There is no politics or elections involved here. This is for our people. Also, I am a very transparent person. You can also get updates of all our projects through the documents we posted on our bulletin boards at the city hall. All the documents are updated, he said.When asked if the city’s internal revenue allotment (IRA) is enough to purchase the equipment without entering into another loan agreement with a reputable government bank, the mayor explained, If I do that, other services would be sacrificed, such as the city’s street lighting projects, construction of additional circumferential roads, and other infrastructure projects.The city’s IRA for 2018 is only P500 million, he said.