Labella eyes P10 billion budget for 2021

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella has disclosed that at least P10 billion is being considered as proposed budget for the city for 2021.

On Friday, the Cebu City Development Council (CCDC) has approved a P22 billion Annual Investment Plan (AIP) for next year.

The AIP will be subjected to a thorough deliberation by the Local Finance Committee.

“It is just a wish list, not all of them really can be implemented at this point,” said Labella.

Despite the pandemic, the mayor said he is confident that the city will have enough sources of revenue for the purpose of being able to achieve the eyed P10 billion budget for 2021.

“We have sources (of) funds. It’s quite difficult at this point because ang tax collection, the real property taxes and the business taxes, are not as high as before the pandemic,” he said.

Labella said health programs and services will be prioritized in the annual budget.

He said the Cebu City Medical Center will be provided with additional equipment, and the city government will buy more medicines for the City Health Department.

A budget will also be allocated for the purchase of vaccines on dengue, tuberculosis, and measles.

“These could also be very fatal diseases, especially for children. There will be more medicines or vaccines of other illnesses,” said Labella.

Labella also mentioned that a P500 million budget for COVID-19 vaccine was considered, but it was not pushed through because it is not yet sure if it will be made available by next year.

“Upon deliberation and discussion with the Local Finance Committee, and of course, with our health personnel, health officials that it may not be made available, so we dispensed with appropriating the P500 million. Anyway, as soon as it shall be made available, we can just add a supplemental budget later on,” he added.

The City Council earlier urged the executive department that the 2021 budget for the city must be pandemic-responsive such that its preparation should focus on urgent priorities such as health, economic recovery, aid, education, among others.

Further, the council wants that the preparation of the budget must be made with meaningful participation from development partners such as non-government organizations, business, academe, and other civil society groups, to name a few.

Labella said also included in the priorities are infrastructure projects, programs to start economic activity and to speed up its recovery, and education, among others.

Meanwhile, with the blended learning being implemented in schools, the city government also commenced with its pilot project in Carreta and Labangon Elementary School wherein tablets are being loaned for the consumption of pupils and students.

Labella said this is an experimentation together with the Department of Education.

“If this proves to be effective, we will have more tablets. Kining tablets na atong idistribute, unlike the other local government units sa NCR nga ilang ipanghatag, I think this could be a waste of resources. It should not be given, but it should be loaned so that other pupils or students can use them,” said Labella.

“We will have like an electronic library. And, these tablets later on will be loaned like in a library ba, ang libro bitaw, loaned, so that it can be used by other pupils. Because if you give it, it can no longer be used again and then you are not sure if it is well taken care of. Unless if it is loaned, the ownership of the tablets are still with the DepEd or the local government so others can still use it,” he added. — GMR (FREEMAN)