Budget chairperson Grecilda Sanchez-Zaballero says the budget was passed intact with minimal objections. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
The province will have a P3.6-billion budget for next year, about P300 million or 20 percent more than this year.
“We never slash. We always give them (the executive department) what they propose for as long as they can justify it,” Provincial Board (PB) Member Grecilda Sanchez said in yesterday’s session.
The biggest source of income for the province, the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) or Cebu province’s share in national tax collection increased from P2.3 billion in 2015 to P2.5 billion for next year.
At P623 million, the governor’s office has the largest allocation for next year.
About P76 million was allocated for personnel services of the province, which is higher by P19 million compared to the current P57 million.
A sum of P52 million is set aside for maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE), a reduction from the current year’s P65 million.
Capital outlay was increased by P20 million to P129 million for next year due to the purchase of IT equipment and software, communication equipment, and disaster response and rescue equipment, among others.
About P520 million was allocated for the Annual Investment Plan (AIP), almost 13 percent more than the current year’s budget.
The Provincial Health Office received the third biggest chunk in next year’s budget which is at P433 million, P24 million higher than this year’s allocation.
A budget of P325.5 million was set aside for the operation of 16 provincial and district hospitals or P29 million higher than this year’s budget.
Included in the budget for next year is the anticipated salary increase for employees still being deliberated by Congress, Zaballero said.
During the board’s discussion yesterday, PB Member Arleigh Sitoy questioned why the allocation was included when it hasn’t been resolved yet.
But Sanchez said that they are only preparing for its eventual approval.
She said this will ensure they have funds to use as source for a supplemental budget for an increase in Capitol employees’ salaries.
PB Member Sun Shimura also asked how much the executive department allocated for medicine in province-run hospitals.
Zaballero and PB Member Peter John Calderon, author of the medicine consignment ordinance, said the budget for medicines has already been itemized and included in the budget.
Exactly P15 million was set aside for the medicine consignment program.
Around P37.6 million was allocated for drugs and medicines expenses in the province-owned hospitals.
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