‘Realistic’ P2.59 billion Capitol budget okayed

The Cebu Provincial Board (PB) yesterday approved what it called a “realistic and conservative” P2.59 billion budget for the province next year.

The 2014 budget is lower by more than P600 million than this year’s annual budget.

A big chunk of the Annual Investment Plan (AIP) was allocated for “Assistance, Subsidy to Local Government Units (LGUs) on Capital Expenditure Projects.”

This item wasn’t present in the 2012 and 2013 annual budget. The new outlay was given P110.5 million.

Meanwhile, the outlay for outsourced health personnel services is higher by more than P13 million.

Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III earlier vowed to stop the practice of outsourcing personnel in Cebu’s provincial and district hospitals and to shift to hiring a regular plantilla for medical staff in his administration.

There was no immediate explanation for the increased outlay for outsourced staff.

The annual budget was passed on third and last reading in yesterday’s regular PB session.

It is lower than this year’s budget of P3.25 billion of the administration of former governor and now Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia of Cebu’s 3rd district.

“If we slash some of the items, it would no longer t make sense based on the justification that they made,” said PB Member Grecilda “Gigi” Sanchez-Zaballero, who heads the committee on budget and appropriations.

The budget for salaries for outsourced personnel in professional health services went up from P119 million in 2013 to P132 million next year.

A P33 million outlay for outsourced janitorial services this year was retained. The budget for outsourced security personnel went up by P500,000 compared to P26.5 million last year.

The outlay for transportation and infrastructure nearly doubled from P60 million to P113 million. The budget for food production and livelihood activities went up by more than P20 million.