City Council to hasten budget for Rama's first 100 days

CEBU, Philippines – The Cebu City Council is set to hear tomorrow the two proposed appropriations amounting to P221-million that will fund the projects of Mayor Michael Rama during his first 100 days.

The council will hold a special session tomorrow to expedite the approval of the budget. Rama reportedly could not wait for the council's regular session on Friday to approve the budget.

City Administrator Jose Mari Poblete said that the council already confirmed that there will be a special session tomorrow.

The two proposed supplemental budgets (SB) are the SB 3 of special accounts amounting P158,477,831 and SB 4 of General Funds reaching P62,658,989.

The SB 3 of special accounts includes P30 million for medical assistance program, P31.5 million for paving and rethreading of city streets and bridges and P15 million for the City Traffic Operations and Management's (CITOM) traffic maintenance or purchase of LED (light-emitting diodes) bulbs to replace incandescent bulbs used in traffic lights, detectors and cabling.

Also included is the proposed appropriation of P10 million for repairs and maintenance of certain sections of City Hall building, P5 million for additional furniture and fixtures also for the City Hall building, P20 million for rehabilitation of Plaza Independencia and Fort San Pedro and P7 million for the purchase of 44 motorcycles for the city police officers.

The Department of Public Services will soon have new dump trucks and motorcycles for garbage collection if the proposed P20 million budget will be approved.

Another P15 million was allocated for the purchase of dredging machines for the cleaning of rivers and creeks in preparation for the rainy season.

The SB 4 of General Funds includes proposals for P9 million to fund the burial assistance program, P2 million to establish the City Hall band and chorale group, P38 million for gasoline, oil, lubricants expenses and supplies and materials for repairs of motor vehicles, P1.98 million for barangay environmental enforcement and P36,000 for additional dog cages needed by the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF).

About 80 percent of the two SBs are realigned budget sourced out from previous appropriations that were not utilized.

The biggest chunk would come from the realignment of this year's Financial Assistance to barangay projects amounting to P153.5 million.

Some P20 million will come from the realignment of the unused funds of the city's scholarship program. The city can also use about P4 million from the realignment of unused funds for the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES).

Other sources are from the Internal Revenue Allotment difference in the years 2000, 2001 and 2004 that would reach almost P26 million.

While P17 million will be sourced from the reversion of accounts payable in 2007 and 2008. (THE FREEMAN)