Holganza pushes for raise in budget for 4th district

CEBU, Philippines – Board Member Jose Ribomapil Holganza is pushing to increase the infrastructure budget for the Fourth District for next year.

Holganza recently passed a resolution supporting House Bill No. 339, which urges the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the National Economic Devel-opment Authority (NEDA), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Regional Development Council (RDC VII) to re-evaluate the development pro-gram of the fourth district and increase its budget for 2011.

Holganza said the P105M budget for infrastructure is not only unjustifiable, but also inequitable.

The Fourth District, composed mainly of towns in the northern part of Cebu, is dependent on agriculture, sugar and fishing.

"In order to fast track the economic growth to lessen the impact of the economic crisis, the said district started to identify and develop as a tourism destination espe-cially the islands of Bantayan and Malapascua by concreting part of the national roads and bridges and started the construction of the RORO ports," the resolution reads.

The proposed P7.7B national budget for Cebu for the year 2011 as endorsed by RDC, DBM, NEDA and DPWH is allocated as follows: P1.46B for the 1st district, P1.69B for the 2nd district, P486M for the 3rd district, P105 M for the 4th district, P511M for the 5th district, P1.77B for the 6th district, and P2.052B for Cebu City.

However, the budget for the Fourth District is reportedly not enough for the anticipated work, which includes repair of kilometers of unpaved national roads; repair and expansion of bridges; rehabilitation of the air strip in Sta. Fe, Bantayan; construction and expansion of the Roll On, Roll Off ports in Daanbantayan, Tabogon, Tabuelan and San Remigio; construction of district hospitals in Bogo and Daanbantayan; and construction of school buildings in the entire district.  (FREEMAN)