ABOUT P749 million had been approved for the province’s annual investment plan (AIP) for next year.
The biggest chunk of the AIP worth P166 million was allocated for the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO).
The second biggest portion of P146.7 million was allocated for infrastructure, up from P135 million last year.
Florentino Nimor, acting chief of the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO), said they proposed a bigger budget for infrastructure.
“Actually we slashed all proposed budget items but we didn’t cut the budget for hospitals since we have to improve some hospitals in the cities of Danao and Carcar into level two hospitals,” Nimor said. The council allocated P131.5 million to upgrade provincial hospitals and acquire equipment and ambulances.
The Provincial Development Council (PDC) also allocated P103 million for subsidy to local government units.
Loan amortization for heavy equipment was pegged at P74 million.
In yesterday’s 3rd quarter meeting, non-government organizations (NGO) questioned why there was no allocation for solid waste management programs.
Richard Navarro, the vice chairman of Binlod Multipurpose Cooperative, said there are towns that cannot afford to build their own landfill.
But Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III said while they haven’t set aside a budget for solid waste management, the province is ready to assist local governments that will build their own landfill.
The governor said his administration intends to build a landfill in Carmen town.