BACOLOD City — The city government here is proposing an increase of P350 million in its annual budget for 2026.
Mayor Greg Gasataya said on Wednesday, October 8, that the proposed P4.75-billion budget for next year is higher than the current P4.4-billion annual budget for 2025.
The mayor is set to submit the proposed budget to the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) today, October 10, for the passage of an ordinance approving the 2026 annual budget.
Gasataya said the increase will be sourced primarily from the National Tax Allotment (NTA), which rose by more than P300 million this year.
“There is no significant increase in our local taxes since the city’s locally generated income remains the same. The additional funding comes mainly from the increase in our NTA share,” the mayor explained.
According to Gasataya, the additional budget will support the city’s priority programs, particularly in the health sector, including the expanded Bacolod City Comprehensive Health Program (BacCHP), as well as social assistance, scholarships, and other development initiatives.
For 2025, Bacolod City’s total NTA share is P2.234 billion out of its P4.4-billion budget, with the remaining amount coming from local revenues./PN
