BACOLOD City – The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) has approved on third and final reading the proposed P2.520-billion 2019 annual budget of this city.
Twelve members of the city council present during their regular session yesterday voted in favor of the proposed 2019 annual budget.
Only one abstained while two members were on leave, said Councilor Caesar Distrito, chairman of the committee on finance and appropriations.
There were three committee hearings conducted last month prior to the approval of the annual budget.
Distrito said the hearings were attended by department heads of the different offices of the city.
The 2018 annual budget was P2.250 billion. The 2019 fund is P270 million higher (12 percent increase).
Distrito said offices allotted larger portions of the budget are the City Mayor’s Office, City Engineering Office and Bacolod City College.
For the source of the funds, Distrito said 50 percent would come from the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) amounting to P1.26 billion and the other half from local tax revenue sources.
Distrito said the biggest budget chunk, around 53 percent (P1.33 billion) is for the maintenance and other operating expenses of the city; 26.21 percent (P660 million) for personnel services; 7.29 percent (P252 million) for the Development Fund; 3.24 percent (P81.7 million) for equipment expenses; 0.32 percent (P7.9 million) for financial expenses; and 10.02 percent (P184 million) for miscellaneous purposes.
“The budget includes a provision for the salary standardization of city government employees. Same with the previous budget, it prioritizes health services, solid waste management, social welfare services, public order and safety, the anti-drug campaign, traffic management, economic and infrastructure development, tourism and importantly, for education,” Distrito said.
On the other hand, Mayor Evelio Leonardia said the city is currently benefiting from a steady rise in the collection of local taxes and that real property and business taxes have recorded significant increases in its collection for the past two consecutive years, owing mainly to the confidence of the valued taxpayers./PN
