The Cebu provincial government drew up a P462.6 million annual investment plan (AIP) for 2015.
The plan presented yesterday by Gov. Hilario Davide III is P55 million higher than last year’s AIP of P407 million because of an expected increase in the province’s revenue from the national government through Cebu’s share of the Internal Revenue Allotment.
Like last year, more than half of the amount or P246 million of the total fund will be used for infrastructure projects, such as roads and bridges.
The Davide administration plans to invest in heavy equipment and wants to spend P110 million to acquire a loan to purchase the units next year.
“We intend to borrow money for the purchase of heavy equipment but it’s not yet final. I still have to take this up with the Provincial Board (PB),” Davide told reporters later.
The AIP is supposed to be drawn up by every city, municipal and provincial government to identify priorities for development funded by 20 percent of its IRA.
The AIP for 2015 was approved yesterday in a meeting of the Cebu Provincial Development Council (PDC) attended by around 30 out of 51 city and town mayors, 33 representatives from non-government organizations (NGOs), Rep. Luigi Quisumbing and 10 committee members of the PDC.
Private sector members of sub-committees also attended.
DISCRETIONARY FUNDS
A big chunk of the AIP or about P116 million was allocated for “Assistance, Subsidy to Local Government Units (LGUs) on Capital Expenditure Projects.”
Of that amount, P75 million will be at the disposal of Governor Davide’s office.
Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale will have a P7 million budget under the allocation while the Provincial Board has a lump sum of P34.5 million for their priority projects.
Asked if the P75 million was his “discretionary fund,” the governor answered, “no.”
“It is very clear there that it is subsidy for the LGUs and other projects. I am limited to that. There are a lot of people who come to the governor for projects. That is why we placed that there,” he said.
Davide said he could align the funds under his office as needed.
“If you look at the resolution, the governor can ask to realign the fund because the vice governor’s office may have more projects that need funding,” Davide said.
The resolution approved by the Council yesterday said the formulation of the 2015 AIP “was done through a participatory approach, good governance practices of transparency and optimum utilization of public resources.”
Priority infrastructure projects include the conversion of the provincial road connecting the towns of Alcoy and Alegria in south Cebu as a national road and the widening of the Cebu North Hagnaya Wharf Road from Liloan to Danao.
In line with the Davide administration’s push for agriculture, more than P37 million will be available for food production, livelihood and entrepreneurship programs.
Also to be funded are the province’s continuing water supply development program worth P5 million and another P5 million for environment protection solid waste management.
A new item described as “Manpower Development” for the Capitol’s technical and vocational trainings was allotted P2 million.
Also included in the plan were a study on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation measures in the province’s projects.
Private sector members who attended the meeting included Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) executive director May Elizabeth Ybanez, Anton Dignadice of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (Rafi), Oscar Pineda of the Cebu Newsworkers Multipurpose Cooperative and Thelma Chiong of the Crusade Against Violence in the Visayas.
Rep. Gabriel “Luigi” Quisumbing was the lone congressman who attended the meeting.