QUEZON CITY – Bataan 2nd District Congressman Jose Enrique “Joet”Garcia III has successfully hurdled the powerful Committee on Appropriations when House Bill 1418 or the Act Creating Metro Bataan Development Authority (MBDA) was approved during the committee meeting yesterday.
Rep. Garcia said the MBDA is being created to establish a single entity that shall integrate and coordinate the delivery of certain basic services as well as the enforcement of laws, rules and regulations across the city and municipalities of the Province of Bataan.
With the MBDA integrating and coordinating all such national government responses at the local level, the implementation of directed responses will be expedited, better coordinated and will cater to the actual needs of the province.
Garcia’s Bill seeks to implement a centralized coordinating scheme that will enforce laws and supervise the distribution of funds, basic services for the whole province of Bataan.
The proposed bill will group cities and municipalities to better coordinate efforts and resources, which are “commonly beneficial to them.”
It was first filed by the late Cong. Enrique “Tet” Garcia, Jr way back in 2014. It aims to act as a supervisor to province-wide projects and shall have the authority to set, enforce, and impose policies regarding traffic.
It shall also, the bill provides, be headed by a general manager, who will have the rank and privileges of head of a department of the provincial government of Bataan to be appointed by the governor.
“The coverage of the MBDA are services which have province-wide impact and transcend legal political boundaries or entail huge expenditures that would not be viable for said services to be provided by the individual local government units in Bataan,” Garcia stated.
The implementation of the body’s approved plans, programs and project shall be undertaken by the local units, the concerned national government agencies, the accredited people’s organizations, non-government organizations and the private sector where appropriate.
The MBDA shall also given the authority to levy fines and impose fees and charges for various services rendered.
It shall also require all its member cities and municipalities to contribute a portion of its annual revenue for its operation and implementation of projects.