Cebu city’s welfare, agri offices seek bigger budgets

CEBU City Hall’s Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) and the City Agriculture Department (CAD) are asking for bigger budgets for its programs and activities next year.

City councilors, however, questioned how the DSWS would  implement its programs if it lacks personnel.

DSWS chief Dr. Ester Concha said they only have 23 social workers this year. Only 17 are regular employees while six are casual employees.

“It’s really not enough. Other local government units (LGUs) like Davao y have about 300 social workers. They don’t apply for positions.  Maybe because of the rates, since it’s much higher in the national (DSWD),” she said during the budget hearing yesterday.

She said they have 10 vacant positions. More posts will be vacated in a year or two because several employees are due for retirement.

The DSWS is seeking a budget of P387.7 million for next year, about 60 percent higher than this year’s P243 million.

Among the programs with a bigger budget is the Aid to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), from P5.1 million to P10 million; and Self Employment Assistance Program, from P200,000 to P5 million.

The department also plans to increase its yearly financial assistance to the city’s Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) to P7,500 from P5,000 a year.  This requires a P91 million budget for next year from P65 million this year. There are around 12,000 PWDs in the city.

The DSWS is also proposing several new programs next year including a Community Based Child and Family Protection Program (P3.4 million), Child and Youth Program (P22 million), Local 4Ps Program (P24 million), and Solo Parents Program (P30.4 million).

For  Operation Second Chance (OSG), the same amount of P7.9 million  is requested for next year.

Concha said the facility is full with 200 youths, many of whom come from outside Cebu City.  The department allots P50 per day per resident for meals.  Councilor Lea Japson said this should  be revisited because  the amount is  not enough.

“We can’t refuse admission  because there are court orders. But Atty. Veloso has been meeting with other LGUs for them to take  youths who are from their area. Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue and Talisay have already started with their facility,” Concha said.

Councilor Margot Osmeña said the city can’t allocate an amount for the single parents program despite an ordinance mandating it.

“It can only be effective after nine years. Section 5 of the ordinance states that qualified solo parents should have voted for three consecutive elections. And since laws should not be retroactive, this means, qualified solo parents can get their assistance in 2022 pa. So we can just scratch that,” she said.

Meanwhile, the City Agriculture Department is asking for a bigger budget to insure farmers’ crops and build  water impounding facilities in 28 mountain barangays.

City Agriculturist Joelito Baclayon said they need P10 million for crop insurance, P100 million for the Cebu City Upland Water Supply Project and P103 million for a mobile water truck pump.