Baras LGU supports BRO
Posted on March 19, 2009, 12:44 AM by Herbert Joseph Carigma under All About Baras
Responding to a post I made last year (Discussion Board now open), the Municipality of Baras has pledged to help Baras Rizal Online, financially.
Here’s a little bit of background. For two years now, this website has been operating solely from my own finances. A part of my salary is set aside to pay the annual domain name registration and web hosting every quarter. Though there may be advertisements in the site, the earnings doesn’t come regularly and they are in really small amounts.
Late last year, several people from the municipal government approached me saying that they are willing to pay for the expenses of the site. I was asked to draft a memorandum of agreement between me and the Office of the Mayor.
Last February 2, the Sangguniang Bayan passed Resolution 27 authorizing the mayor to enter into agreement with BRO, saying that “modern information technology will help the local government to easily reach and interact with its people, as well as to update them of the government’s effort to provide basic services to the people.”
What does the MOA contain? It basically says that I’ll be covering newsworthy events that are sponsored by the municipal government (as I’ve been doing before) and post an archive of the resolutions and ordinances passed by the local council (as some of you have requested). The government, on the other hand, will give a fixed amount of money to be used for the payment of web hosting and other operational expenses of the site.
Will this affect the contents of BRO? No. I will write in the manner how I wrote before. If I want to do straight news, then I present the article as a news; not an editorial. If I want to voice out an opinion, then I say so in a manner that I write it on the first person. Editorial independence is still there and BRO will continue to be a guardian against corruption.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank two people – Seattle Anonymous and Concerned Barasenian from Artesia, CA USA, for their donations. They helped BRO pay for some hosting services.
There will be some changes on the layout though. I’m still customizing a theme that will make the site more professional and easier to navigate. I also plan to transfer the web host because there are days where this website is inaccessible. As much as I wanted to patronize Filipino web hosting companies, they do not live up to my expectations. Also, there will be more pictures and podcasts.
In one instance I have wrote that “ayoko sa pulitiko.” I won’t take back that statement. All I would say is, when somebody from the government, either local or national, assists you financially, the money does not come from the individual. It comes from all of us who pay taxes. It’s not the government money. It’s the people’s money.
Again, I will maintain my editorial independence. But if you feel that I’m being biased, it’s always good to be reminded.
March 19th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
as long as we can still post comments that are not government-edited/selected, everything will be just fine, herbert. this is just a sign that we are started to get heard by them who have a strong influence to our town. hopefully, they won’t just read whatever we say here but rather understand them. let us keep being productive in any ways we can for the goodness of our town.
March 19th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
They don’t have any control over the comments. In fact, they encourage hearing from barasenians. I have the sole discretion to decide which statement is libelous or non-sensical.
May 5th, 2009 at 5:19 am
I hope this website remains independent and non partisan.
May 31st, 2009 at 6:50 am
SANA MAG-COMMENT DIN ANG KAHIT SINONG REPRESENTATIVE NG MUNISIPYO PARA NAMAN MAS LALONG MAGKAROON NG KABULUHAN ITONG SITE NA ITO.
NAPANSIN KO, KARAMIHAN SA NAGKO-COMMENT DITO AY ANG MGA TAGA-BARAS NA NASA MALALAYONG LUGAR. NAGPAPATUNAY LANG NA KAHIT SAAN PA TAYO MAKARATING, ANG BAYAN PA RIN NATIN ANG ATING PALAGING MAMAHALIN AT TATANGKILIKIN. SANA MAUNAWAAN AT MAKITA NG MGA OPISYAL SA ATING PAMAHALAAN ANG KAHALAGAHAN NG MGA NANGINGIBANG-BAYAN/BANSA. NAPAKALAKING SAKRIPISYO ANG GINAWA NILA PARA SA IKABUBUTI NG KANILANG MGA PAMILYA NA MAY MALAKING TULONG NAMAN SA ATING PAMAYANAN NG BARAS. SA PAGSAGOT SA KANILANG MGA KOMENTO, SA SALITA MAN O GAWA (NA MAS MAINAM), MAIPAKITA SANA NG PAMAHALAAN ANG KANILANG PAGKILALA SA MGA OFW. HINDI SAPAT ANG SUPORTANG PINANSYAL SA BARASRIZAL.COM. DAPAT DING MARINIG ANG INYONG PANIG AT PANGAKONG PAPUNTA SA POSITIBONG DIREKSYON ANG BAYAN NA HINDI LANG ANG MGA NARIRIYAN ANG NAGMAMAHAL.
MABUHAY ANG MGA OFW!