Cebu City to conduct budget hearing with full council

CEBU CITY, Philippines—The Cebu City Council will start the hearing of the P10.8 billion 2021 budget by the first of week of November. 

Instead of only the committee on budget present, which is common for budget hearings, Vice Mayor Michael Rama called a full council so that all councilors can peruse the budget. 

This would also decrease the time needed to approve the budget during a regular session for the final approval. 

“It should be a full council, like a plenary, because we have to know the details of the budget,” said Rama, the presiding officer of the council. 

The City Council is planning to begin the budget hearings on November 3, 2020, going on daily until all departments have completed their presentation. 

Rama urged the councilors to give time for the budget hearings as scrutinizing budget is one of the main purpose of the Sangguniang Panglungsod. 

“We don’t know how long we can approve the budget, it will depend on the details,” said the vice mayor. 

Still, Mayor Edgardo Labella urged the council to pass the budget before the end of the year so that the projects which needs funding will be provided so. 

The biggest chunk of the 2021 budget of the city has been given to health such as anti-flu and anti-pneumoina vaccines; hospital services; and to the Cebu City Health Department’s response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). 

/bmjo