Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia | CDN Digital file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Governor Gwendolyn Garcia vowed that the projects funded by the Capitol’s P12 billion budget for 2020 will be “equitably distributed” throughout the 51 component towns and cities of the province.
The all-time high budget is “good as signed” as it had been passed on third and final reading at the Provincial Board (PB) on Monday, December 2.
“They (board members) can all be assured that the 2020 budget will address the most pressing needs of all our constituents,” Garcia said in an interview Tuesday afternoon, December 3.
“In so far as social services, economic services and all services are concerned, the 2020 budget will be equitably distributed throughout all our 44 towns, seven cities… throughout all our seven congressional districts,” Garcia added.
Within only three minutes and without any questions or objections, the PB, with its 12 members present, unanimously voted for the passage of the budget ordinance.
Garcia said the PB’s swift approval of the proposed budget speaks of its confidence on the direction of her program of government.
Garcia submitted her 2020 executive budget proposal, amounting to P12,000,028,000, last October 16 after three rounds of budget calls with the heads of the different departments.
The PB, majority of which are allied with Garcia, did not slash or cut down any of the proposed appropriation.
“[The programs will be] addressing the most pressing issues such as roads, water systems, government infrastructures. This includes the upgrading of our hospitals’ infrastructures, medical and social services,” Garcia said.
Cebu province, which is one of pilot sites in the implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law, is expecting funds from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) for the upgrading of its 12 district and four provincial hospitals.
The expected P4.2 billion from Philhealth is among the external funding source of the 2020 budget.
On top of this, the province will also be collecting dues or reimbursements from the government health insurance provider for the services that the Capitol-run hospitals will render its patients. / celr