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Tolentino leads local gov't panel hearing: Committee on Local Government chairperson Sen. Francis “Tol" Tolentino presides over a hybrid hearing on several local bills seeking the creation of barangays, renaming of municipalities, conversion of a municipality into a component city, creation of development authorities and the reapportionment of districts Wednesday, December 15, 2021. In tackling one of the bills in the agenda, House Bill No. 9215 or the bill creating the Baguio City, La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba, and Tublay Development Authority (BLISTTDA), Tolentino proposed to include an internal revenue allotment (IRA)- intercept mechanism, where a specified percentage of the local government units’ (LGU) IRA will be automatically allocated to finance the operation of BLISTTDA similar to what is provided in Republic Act 7924 or the Metro Manila Development Authority Act. Baguio Rep. Mark Go, author of the measure, informed the committee that the original proposal was three percent of the LGU’s IRA will go to BLISTTDA but some of the mayors raised concerns and opted for financial contribution instead. “In the long run, at the end of the day, we will be talking about finances and it will be good for a newly-created entity to be sustainable, finance-wise, to have something within its coffers to maintain the functions,” Tolentino said, adding that he will await the formal position of the mayors of the six LGUs on his proposal. (Joseph Vidal/ Senate PRIB)