San Juan gets P2.5 billion budget for next year

MANILA, Philippines — The city government of San Juan has approved a P2.5-billion budget next year, with health and social services getting more funding, Mayor Francis Zamora announced yesterday.

Zamora signed Ordinance No. 60 for the local government’s annual budget, which is higher by 23 percent than the P2-billion allocation of the previous administration.

The five councilors who voted against the budget did not attend the signing ceremony at the city hall. They were Victor Jose Reyes, Michael Christopher Mathay, Franchesco Paul Velasco, Mary Joy Ibuna-Leoy and Jannah Ejercito.

Zamora lambasted the councilors for choosing politics over the welfare of their constituents.

“They are against what we are doing for the people of San Juan,” he said.

In fulfillment of his campaign promise to improve health services for the residents, Zamora and his allies increased the budget of the San Juan Medical Center to P232 million from P161 million.

Funding for the procurement of free medicines was raised to P20 million from P10 million.

The mayor said they would receive P5 million a month from the Office of the President for the maintenance of the San Juan Medical Center.

A Malasakit Center will also be opened at the hospital on Dec. 19, with Sen. Christopher Go attending the event.

The  budget for the procurement of medical, dental and laboratory supplies was increased from P43 million to P50 million.

The local government also earmarked P143 million for payment of debt.

As part of measures to save government funds, the city council slashed from P12 million to P6 million the budget for the annual “Wattah Wattah” Festival.

Zamora said he found it wrong that the previous administration had allotted more money for the one-day feast instead of buying medicines for the city residents.

“Puwede naman tayo magsaya kahit hindi ganon kalaki ang gastos,” he said.