‘Drainage funds realigned to SB’

Cebu City Councilor Margot Osmeña said she was dismayed that the executive department is blaming the City Council for the non-implementation of drainage projects which were approved two years ago.

She said the specific drainage projects from the P100 million budget were only endorsed to the City Council this year.

Another P52 million for 2013 and P100 million for this year have not been obligated, Osmeña said.

She said the City Council approved P400 million worth of lump sum appropriations for drainage projects this year but P300 million was re-aligned as fund source for the Supplemental Budget 1 this year. “We’re just waiting to approve projects. They just passed it to us this year and there are others that they haven’t obligated. We’re not the ones implementing projects,” Osmeña said.

Lump sum

The councilor said based on the fund source for the P325 million SB1 this year, P300 million was sourced from the approved lump sum budget for drainage projects.

The P300 million was supposed to be used for the purchase of lots for river improvement (P20 million), repair or construction of drainage system (P200 million) and Right of Way Acquisition (ROWA) and structures for repairs and construction of drainage system (P80 million).

The realigned amount was used for SB2, which was mainly used to fund the initial construction of the new Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC), Osmeña said.

“That is why the budget for drainage is now P100 million, that’s the balance after they realigned the P300 million. And they haven’t even endorsed projects for that,” Councilor Osmeña said.

Due to lack of a quorom, the council was unable to approve the proposed Supplemental Budget 2.

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