BACOLOD City — The City Government of Bacolod is eyeing a P5-billion annual budget for 2027, about P300 million higher than the city’s current P4.7-billion spending program.
City Councilor Jude Thaddeus Sayson, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) Committee on Appropriations and Finance, said the city conducted a preliminary budget review on September 1, 2026, with department and office heads participating in the discussions.
Sayson said the various departments and offices are still preparing their respective budget proposals for submission to the City Council.
The review forms part of the preliminary process leading to the formulation and approval of the city’s 2027 annual budget.
“We are now at the portion of slashing,” Sayson said, referring to the process of trimming proposed allocations to ensure that the city’s spending plans are aligned with its available funds.
He explained that departments typically submit funding requirements that exceed the city’s projected revenues during the initial stage of the budget process.
“When you entertain the budget, all the budgets are way above the available funds. Now, we are at the slashing stage to be able to meet the submitted source of funds,” Sayson said.
The initial P5-billion proposed budget represents an increase of about P300 million, or 6.4 percent, from the city’s current P4.7-billion budget.
However, Sayson clarified that the P5-billion figure remains tentative and is still being reviewed at the City Budget Office level. It has yet to be submitted to the Office of the Mayor for final consideration.
He said increases in the budget proposals of departments and offices are expected annually as they identify funding requirements for their planned programs, projects and activities.
“It is normal that there is usually an increase from the previous year,” Sayson said.
The City Budget Office will still adjust the proposed allocations based on the city’s actual and projected revenues.
Bacolod’s annual funding comes primarily from its National Tax Allotment (NTA) and local revenue collections, which determine the resources available for government programs, public services and operations.
Sayson emphasized that the P5-billion amount could still change as the proposed budget undergoes further review, trimming and deliberation before the city’s final 2027 spending plan is approved./PN
