City Council to scrutinize P8.1 billion proposed budget

CEBU, Philippines —  The Cebu City Council has scheduled a series of budget hearings next month to study and scrutinize the P8.1 billion proposed Annual Budget for 2019.

Councilor Margarita Osmeña, chairwoman of the City Council’s committee on budget and finance, slated the hearings on November 5, November 7, November 8, November 9, and November 12 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“After the series of budget hearings, we will try to render a committee report on November 20,” she told the members of the City Council during the regular session last Tuesday.

For the November 5 hearing, the council invited members of the Local Finance Committee, Office of the Mayor, special projects and all other offices under the Office of the Mayor.

For November 7, officials of the City Administrator’s Office and all offices under it, City Planning and Development Office, Local Disaster Fund, and Department of General Services will present their proposed budget.

For November 8, the council will hear from the offices of Peace and Order Program, Cebu City Transportation Office, Cebu City Sports Commission, and Department of Public Services.

For November 9, the offices that will present their budget are the Department of Social Welfare and Services, Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund, and City Agriculture Department.

On November 12, the council will hear the budget proposals of the Department of Engineering and Public Works, Cebu City Medical Center, Guba Hospital, and the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries.

Bulk of the P8.1 billion proposed budget is from the Department of General Services and all offices under the department amounting to P788.8 million, followed by the Department of Public Services amounting to P692.2 million.

Of the proposed P8.1 billion, the executive department allocated over P2 billion for the financial assistance to several stakeholders like P455 million for senior citizens; P400 million for barangay projects, P158 million for scholarship program; P81.6 million for persons with disability; P80 million for the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation; P76. 8 million for barangay tanods, P65 million for peace and order personnel; P65 million teacher’s assistance program.

One of the new items in the proposed annual budget for next year is the mayor’s special project deploying buses for college students in the mountain barangays amounting to P200 million for the acquisition of 40 buses.

The special project also covers P6.6 million salary for the drivers of buses, P26.4 million for fuel and oil, P20 million for renovation of Cebu City condominium, P10 million for the operation of the condominium, and P11.2 million for meal allowance for mountain barangay students. — GAN (FREEMAN)