For purchase of buses: P24 million slashed from Rama's P221 million SB

CEBU, Philippines – Some P24 million from the proposed P221 million Supplemental Budget (SB) intended for the projects and programs during the first 100 days of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama had to be slashed by the council's committee on budget and finance to give way to the city's statutory obligations on the 20 buses purchased last year and donated to the mountain barangays.

Items affected are the proposed P15 million for the purchase of dredging equipment, P4 million of P20 million for the purchase of brand new garbage trucks, P4 million of P30 million for the fuel expenses of the city and P1 million of P2 million for the establishment and purchase of instruments and other equipments of the planned City Hall band.

The P24 million comprises 20 buses procured at P1.6 million each last year. It was not included in the initial proposal because of the delays in the submission of necessary documents to consider it as accounts payable.

The office of the councilor Augustus Pe Jr., wrote a request to councilor Jose Daluz III, chairman of the committee on budget and finance, to include the obligation in the appropriation.

"By law, as a statutory obligation, we have to include that. The committee on budget was informed of that contractual obligation so we have to put it up and the council approved its inclusion. In effect however, we had to slash some of the items in the original proposal," Daluz said.

There are two appropriations, SB 3 of Special Accounts and SB 4 of the General Fund, which the council is set to approve during their regular session on Friday.

Yesterday, the council's committee on finance conducted the budget hearing and so far came up with items approved by the committee which include among others P30 million for the city's medical assistance, P9 million for the burial assistance, P31.5 million for the paving and retreading of city streets and bridges P15 million for traffic maintenance and P15 million for the renovation of the city hall building including the purchase of additional furniture and fixtures for offices in City Hall.

Some P8 million is appropriated for the supplies and repairs of city's motor vehicles. The renovation of the Plaza Independencia gets P20 million while P7 million is allotted for the purchase of 44 motorcycles for the city police.

The purchase of dredging equipment for the dredging project of the committee on infrastructure headed by councilor Roberto Cabarrubias will no longer be included. Cabarrubias agreed to just get the funding from the next supplemental budget that the mayor promised to pass in August or September.

The P2 million intended for the establishment of the band, the brainchild of Rama, which aims to promote culture and arts, fun and recreation for the 5,000 employees of city hall were also reduced to P1 million where half shall be used for the seminars and workshop of the group while the other half is for the purchase of equipments and instruments.

The proposed budget for the instruments was originally for P1.5 million but since the proponent of the project was not able to submit a breakdown and the council believes that it is not a priority at this time, they slashed it to P500,000.

During the budget hearing, councilor Margot Osmeña questioned the establishment of the band which she said is a duplication of the function of the Culture and Historical Affairs Commission.

But Rama said that the performing arts group he is planning to create does not aim to compete with the CHAC but to coordinate with it and to other non-government organizations that seek to promote the culture and arts of Cebu.

It will also be joined by city hall employees and later may expand to the outsiders. Rama said he only wants to give color to the life of City Hall employees.

But Osmeña instead wants the money for CHAC that only has about P30,000 left.

"We have five coming city sponsored activities and yet we don't have money which is ironic," Osmeña said.

Other members of the council agreed to reduce the proposed P30 million fuel budget to P26 million and the P20 million budget for the purchase of five garbage trucks to P16 million since the need for these are not so urgent.

"This is still subject for approval by the council on Friday. But since we already have 10 councilors here who attended, I think mao na to. If other councilors have questions, they can raise it during the session," Daluz said.

Eighty percent of the source of the two SBs is from the realignment of 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.

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)