PB to start 2017 budget hearings on November 22-24

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu Provincial Board is set to start the hearings on the proposed 2017 annual budget on November 22 to 24.

However, Vice Governor Agnes Magpale won’t be around to preside over the series of budget hearings next week.

The vice governor is on a vacation leave starting today until the 24th of this month. It’s her first vacation after the May 9 elections.

Magpale, together with her family, will go to Hong Kong. “It’s been my practice to treat my grandchildren every year for a vacation. Last year wala kay election year man. This is my first bakasyon g’yud,” she said.

In lieu of Magpale, Board Member Jerome Librando of the 7th district will preside over the budget hearings on Tuesday, at 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Vice Governor’s conference room.

Each Capitol department and office will present their budget proposals to the PB.

The executive department of the Cebu provincial government is proposing a budget of P3.6 billion for 2017. The amount is higher by 5.1 percent or P175 million than this year's budget of P3.4 billion.

Of the P3.6 billion, P881.9 million is allocated for hospital operations. The amount is higher by 24.4 percent from the 646.1 million budget this year.

Rodas said the increase will be used to upgrade provincial hospitals in Carcar City and Danao City from Level 1 to Level 2. A level 1 hospital has a 50-bed capacity while a Level 2 hospital has a 150-bed capacity.

The budget for the purchase of medicines and medical supplies also rose substantially to P30 million from the current P23.8 million.

The Provincial Health Office itself is asking for a separate allocation of P488 million, which is 12 percent higher than this year's P433 million.

Meanwhile, P614.8 million has been budgeted for the Office of the Governor, higher than its P607 million budget for 2016.

Almost all departments in the provincial government have asked for a bigger budget for 2017.

Frontline offices such as the Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) asked for P135 million; the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office asked for P166 million; the Veterinarian's Office P34.6M; and the Provincial Agriculture's Office P109.5 million.

As part of the province's countryside development project, Capitol allocated P26.9M for the farmers and fisherfolk to equip them with facilities and tools to increase production.

Capitol is also proposing a budget of P40 million for the Farmer Scientist Research Development and Extension Training Program and another P3.1 million for the Fisherfolk Scientist RDE Training Program.

Some offices, on the other hand, have asked for smaller budgets for next year.

The Engineering's Office, for one, only wants P86.3 million next year, way lower than its current budget of P146 million.

The Provincial Planning and Development Office's budget for 2017 is down to P32 million from its 2016 budget of P44 million. The Provincial General Services Office is also down to P129 million from P147 million, and the Provincial Treasurer's Office is down to P82 million from its 2016 budget of P137 million.

Even the Office of the Vice Governor and of the Provincial Board have smaller budgets for 2017 compared to this year.

The Office of the Vice Governor has proposed a budget of P65 million, a bit lower than this year's P62 million. The PB's budget for 2017 is only P134 million, lower compared to this year's P178 million.

Also included in the proposed budget is the P74 million for the first year amortization payment for Capitol's P200 million loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines. The money, which Capitol plans to pay in three years, was used to purchase heavy and light equipment.

The Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) gets a budget of P118.6 million, also higher than its current budget of P102 million. The money will be used to construct more detention cells and improve the infirmary, for which, P10 million is allocated.

The Cebu South Bus Terminal, one of Capitol's income generating entities, has asked for a budget of P43 million, higher by five million than its 2016 budget of P38 million. (FREEMAN)