Rama sends P256M SB-2 to City Council

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama Friday submitted to the city legislature the proposed P256.86-million Supplemental Budget (SB)-2 that he said is meant to keep City Government operations going for the rest of the fiscal year.

Consequently, the City Council set a special session at 2 p.m. tomorrow to deliberate on SB-2, the bulk of which is for payables amounting to P46.8 million, including P10.3 million in 2009 and P27.3 million in 2010.

Among others, the payables are dues the City owes with the national government agencies and private contractors.

The executive department identified as fund sources the difference in City's Internal Revenue Allotment shares for 2000-2001 (P12.7 million) and for 2001-2004 (P8.7 million); business taxes (P106 million); and realigned allocations from continuing appropriations for 2010 to 2011 amounting to P36 million.

Other fund sources are the retained operating surplus for 2012 (P41.4 million), reverted 2010 and previous years' accounts payable (P46.8million), and proceeds from prior years' bid documents.

SB-2 also includes a P25-million allocation for personal services, specifically for the Office of the City Administrator; maintenance and other operating expenses (P201.36); and capital outlay intended for infrastructure projects (P30.5 million).

Another P10 million (motor vehicle outlay) is for the mobile patrol vehicles of the Cebu City Police Office.

The budget's P33.94-million current operating expenditures MOOE is for gasoline, oil and lubricant, supplies and materials for motor vehicles, telecommunications, janitorial, and security services, with P189,000 set aside for policemen serving the mountain barangays.

Police allowance, including that for the National Bureau of Investigation and Maritime police operatives, is allotted P39.5 million.

The Cebu City Bureau of Fire Protection personnel, on the other hand, gets P3.6 million, while allowance for the judiciary and Office of the Regional State Prosecutor was pegged at P12.9million and P875,000, respectively.

SB-2 likewise includes P14.78 million as the City Government's share in the expenses, particularly in the honoraria of the board election inspectors, for the Oct. 28 elections.

Infrastructure projects, like asphalting of roads, got an appropriation of P10 million.  Garbage collection and disposal services is allotted P21.6 million; sanitary landfill concerns, P1 million; and sanitation supplies and materials, P600,000.

Meanwhile, contrary to Rama's earlier pronouncement that he would give P16 million for the barangays, those in the north district would get P6.6 million while those in the south district would receive P8.1 million in projects, or a total of only P14.7 million.  (FREEMAN)