Raymond: Only P171M out of P405M spent for Palarong Pambansa 2024

The CCSC oval. | CDN Digital file photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Around P234 million was saved from the P405 million budget for the Palarong Pambansa 2024, a local official confirmed Monday. 

Acting Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia said in a press briefing on Monday that the city government was able to spend around P171 million from the approved budget for the national sports event. 

Garcia said the P405 million was the budget approved by the City Council for the Palarong Pambansa for two accounts which were the city-sponsored activities and the account of Supplemental Budget (SB) 1.

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The city’s public information office published on Monday the breakdown of the City Government’s expenditures for the Palarong Pambansa 2024.

The total budget allocation was P405,974,035 sourced from the annual budget under city-sponsored activities with P200,000,000 and SB 1 with P205,974,035.

Out of the P200 million from the annual budget, the City was able to utilize P148,029,413.93. A total of P51,970,586.07 was saved. 

Meanwhile, under SB 1, the City utilized P22,999,830 and the total amount saved was P182,974,205.

This brings to a total of P234,944,791.07 amount saved. 

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“Despite dako kaayo ta’g savings, successful gihapon kaayo atong pagka-host. Dili man diay ta kinahanglan nga dako kaayo’g gastoon para masuccessful atong Palaro,” Garcia said. 

(Despite our big savings, our hosting (of Palarong Pambansa) was also successful. We don’t need  to spend a large amount of money to make our Palaro successful.)

Garcia said that the saved amount would be sourced for other items such as the SB 2 which the City Council was planning. 

As of press time, Garcia clarified that he did not have the entire details for the appropriations of the SB 2 which amounted to around P500 million, but it allocated around P150 million for garbage. 

The other items include the implementation of the Universal Healthcare Law which is more or less P120 million. 

The City Council initially approved a P200 million budget for the Palaro, later, an additional P205 million was requested to the City Council which was now under the Supplemental Budget 1.

It was in February that Councilor Noel Wenceslao, chairman of the committee on budget and finance, said that suspended Mayor Michael Rama signed the proposal requesting approximately P205 million for the city’s hosting of the multi-sport Palarong Pambansa 2024.

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However, Garcia announced the slashing of the budget on June 3 to prioritize and make sure that the City only spends government funds on what’s needed, after he received tips from “well-meaning individuals” and information from some City Hall offices on items that are being proposed for purchase, but are not actually necessary.

After 30 years, Cebu City hosted the Palarong Pambansa which took place last July 9 to 16. 

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