CEBU, Philippines – The Committee on Budget and Finance yesterday approved Supplemental Budget 4 amounting to P231 million.
The bulk of the latest supplemental appropriation goes to the purchase of brand new heavy equipment to carry on the city's so called “asphalt storm” by the City Engineering Department.
Councilor Jose Daluz III, head of the Committee on Budget and Management, said around P118 million was approved for the immediate purchase of heavy and lighting equipment.
The appropriation was defended by councilor Augustus Pe Jr., as he was also delegated with an executive function to carry out infrastructure projects.
In earlier interviews, Pe said many roads in the city are in bad condition because of potholes and some roads have also worsened over the years because of the temporary remedies the city has been making.
He said the city will buy two graders, two pay loaders, a bulldozer, a backhoe loader, a road roller, a desilting machine and swamp excavator.
The amount for the heavy equipment is around P111 million while another P7 million will be used for the purchase of street lights.
Another P30 million Daluz said was appropriated for asphalting.
For Personnel Services, Daluz said the amount of P38 million was set aside for the augmentation of the salaries pursuant to the increase they implemented starting July last year.
Another significant fund is for the construction of a modern slaughterhouse which is P6 million.
Daluz said all the department heads were able to defend their respective budgets. He also announced that starting yesterday, all budget hearings will already be open to the media.
One source of fund of the SB4 is the result of the ordinance which called for the cleansing of all Accounting Books from the year 2006 down, which gave them P130 million in unallocated funds.
The second source, Daluz said is the unappropriated balance for 2009 which is around P175 million.
SB3 was P196 million; SB2 with P63 million and SB1 P50 million. – Ferliza C. Contratista/BRP (THE FREEMAN)