Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebu City has always strived for progress, yet navigating the complexities of city’s finance is no small feat.
Preventively suspended Mayor Michael Rama has come under scrutiny as the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged the P50 billion budget that he proposed for the city’s annual budget in 2023. They labeled it as the “most aggressive and unrealistic” projection to date.
COA’s 2023 audit report highlighted several concerns regarding the city’s financial health, particularly pointing out that the proposed P50 billion budget was overly ambitious given the city’s existing cash reserves and funding capabilities.
The audit suggested that the budget could strain the city’s resources and hinder the successful execution of essential projects.
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In a recent news media forum, Rama addressed the COA finding. He was candid yet defiant.
“Una sa tanan, attend lang mo sa ‘huge’ press conference nako para tingbong ko ning tanan. You know, sorry to tell you, uso kaayo nang word na ‘flag flag’ uy, uso kayng maflag, pero I can answer it in an appropriate time,” Rama said.
(First of all, you attend my ‘huge’ press conference so that I combine them all. You know, sorry to tell you, that the word ‘flag flag’ is really a fad nowadays. It is really a fad to use flag, but I can answer it in an appropriate time.)
Rama was quick to clarify that the P50 billion budget was not an arbitrary figure.
“I didn’t just think of the P50 billion out of thin air,” he emphasized.
“Ako lang gyung perming ipangutana, naa bay kawat? Gusto nako tubagon ang kawat, naa bay nangawala na P18 billion?” he added.
(I will just always ask, is there stealing? I would like to answer the stealing, was there an P18 billion that was lost?)
READ MORE: COA flags discrepancy in Malabon’s 2023 cash-in-bank account
He explained that the budget proposal was a product of meticulous planning and collaboration with various committees.
Rama also pointed out the necessity of such an ambitious budget to transform Cebu City into a metropolis akin to Singapore and align with his vision for the city’s future.
“I always tap several promises and that P50 (billion) did not come out of thin air, so right now, please reserve because I took cognizance about it,” he said.
He assured that a more detailed explanation would be forthcoming during what he termed a “huge” press conference scheduled for early August.
READ MORE:
COA flags Cebu City of unutilized P1.4B disaster fund
COA: Cebu City relies on temporary staff amid 2,000 vacant posts
The Commission on Audit (COA) recently published its audit report for Cebu City for the year 2023.
The report flagged several items, notably the P50 billion annual budget proposed during Mayor Michael Rama’s tenure.
COA raised concerns about the city’s ability to fund such a budget, given its current financial status, and labeled it as an overly “aggressive and unrealistic” projection.