BACOLOD City – This city will have P2.6 billion at its disposal in 2021.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) approved this executive budget of the city government during its regular session on Wednesday.
Next year’s budget is 13 percent lower than this year’s budget of P3 billion, said Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran.
The city’s expenditure program for 2021 by sectors consists of the following:
* maintenance and other operating expenses – P1,246,951,941
* personal services – P722,013,751
* other expenses – P222,795,538
* development fund – P306,608,110
* property, plant and equipment – P64,870,000
* financial expenses – P36,796,660
According to Councilor Cindy Rojas, chair of the SP’s committee on finance and appropriations, a large chunk of the budget would fund the province’s health services and address the damage caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia submitted the proposed 2021 budget to the SP in October.
He said the capital city needed to slow down.
“Bacolod was accelerating very fast during the past years. It took us 80 years to reach our first billion budget, but it only took us nine years to reach the second billion and only two years to reach the third billion. So that’s how fast we were growing, but all of a sudden because of this pandemic, we have to slow down,” Leonardia said.
He added that the proposed budget will not affect the funds for the City Health Office since the health concern is now the priority because of the pandemic.
The 2021 budget prioritizes health services, solid waste management, social welfare services, public order and safety, anti-drug campaign as in line with the national thrust, improvement of traffic management, economic and infrastructure development, tourism and education./PN
