BARANGAYS will get significant aid Gov. Hilario Davide III’s if his proposed 2015 budget gets approved.
In the proposed P587 million peso budget for the Office of the Governor, P110 million has been appropriated for local government units. Of this, P55-million going to barangays and P43.5 million going to the province’s 44 towns and seven component cities.
The proposed P587 million budget of the governor’s office, a year before the next election is P147-million compared to this year’s budget.
The appropriation for various LGU projects is however just the second biggest item in the governor’s budget.
Non-discretionary
In an earlier interview, Davide stressed that the proposed appropriations is not his “discretionary funds” since he is limited to the description of the use in the item.
“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.
The biggest appropriation is for Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund which was listed at P121.9 million. The disaster budget is however required by the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act (RA 10121). LGUs are mandated by the law allocate at least 5 percent of its annual budget as disaster fund. This disaster fund is divided into the 30 percent quick response fund and 70 percent for disaster preparedness and mitigation.
Good as approved
Cebu 4th District Provincial Board Member Sun Shimura said he will ask the province’s Committee on Budget and Appropriations to provide an itemized list as to where the particular funds will be spent.
“It’s useless to oppose a budget that is good as passed,” said Shimura, considering the disparity between members of the One Cebu Party and the Liberal Party (LP) in the PB.
The (PB) is set to tackle the budget proposal during their regular session on Monday.
Aside from the subsidy to LGUs, Davide is also proposing P10 million for his intelligence funds.
For her part, Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale has a Local Assistance Fund (LAF) to LGUs worth P16 million.
PB members will have P2.8 million for their LAF. The PB has 12 elected members and two ex-officio members.
Bigger budget
In his budget message, Davide said the increase in the proposed P3 billion budget is due to the projected increase in the province’s internal revenue allotment (IRA) for next year.
An additonal P279.3 million will be downloaded to the province by national government for its IRA in 2015.
He also attributed the increase to the P50 million revenue from provincial hospitals due to improvement in collection efficiency and increase in patients “as a result of a much improved hospital services”
Davide said his administration will continue to “give emphasis on providing assistance to our component cities and municipalities or institutions.”