Capitol proposes P12 billion budget for 2020

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu provincial government has proposed a P12 billion budget for next year. This is way above the P4.7 billion budget in 2019.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said the bulk of the budget would be set aside for infrastructure that would include road repairs, creation of a level three water system and to improve the 16 provincial and district hospitals.

In her budget message to the Provincial Board, P1.76 billion of the proposed budget is for the General Public Services; P6.26 billion for social services and P3.98 billion for economic services.

The governor said that they are targeting to cement about 250 kilometers of the provincial roads and to improve 100 kilometers of barangay roads.

Capitol has also set aside budget to upgrade the provincial hospitals into Level II hospitals and to increase the bed capacity of the district hospitals just like in Bantayan and Camotes islands.

Garcia is positive that the proposed budget for next year will be covered by the province’s local revenue, while the 32 percent of the budget would be covered by the Internal Revenue Allotment.

“We did not make any reference to the 2019 Annual Budget and its expenditures because 2019 was an election year where priorities were different,” read the governor’s message.

Garcia said the proposed budget was based on the province’s priority and the services the Cebuanos need.

“It means we are redirecting to what I believe or priority and paramount importance – infra and health – and it also means that we are now projecting much higher revenues aside from the expected IRA because of measures we are instituting,” Garcia said.  GAN (FREEMAN)