For 2011: Gwen pushes record P3 billion Capitol budget

CEBU, Philippines – Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn F. Garcia submitted yesterday a proposed budget of P3 billion for next year.

This is the first time that the budget proposal of the province had breached the P3 billion-mark.

The almost 400-page proposal was submitted to the Provincial Board.

The province has been operating on annual budgets of over P2 billion for the past five years.

The governor has not yet given the specifics of the proposal, but she said that half of the amount would be going to social services.

The remainder will be for public services and economic services.

Garcia said that the proposed budget is in line with her administration's 12-point agenda.

The 12-point agenda aims to address the basic needs of the people at the barangay level including attending to the needs of children and the elderly, women, agriculture and food production, water, health, power, education, business, environment, infrastructure, information technology, tourism and peace and order.

Of the total budget, 51 percent is expected to come from the share of the province in the Internal Revenue Allotment from the national government.

Of the amount proposed, only 21 percent will go to personnel services, which is way below the prescribed cap of 45 percent of the total budget.

"The delivery of more excellent services at least cost should be the guiding principle in governance where government is run as an enterprise," Garcia said in her budget message.

Excellent service and exemplary behavior are recognized and rewarded through the Program on Awards and Incentives for Service Excellence (PRAISE) with substantial provision for funding support; and to continue augmentation of personnel through out-sourcing of certain basic services.

She said that outsourcing of personnel of certain basic services has proven, fiscally and operationally, to be effective and efficient.

Garcia said the budget espouses the judicious use of resources, bearing the principle in governance that a budget must be - beyond theoretical presentation - an approximation of the people's hopes and aspirations.

"It reflects the new age of politics, new age of governance that we believe has dawned upon this great, indivisible and solid "One Cebu Province"," the governor said.

Provincial Secretary Aniceta Pasaylo told The FREEMAN that she still has to distribute copies of the annual budget to each of the PB members next week.

The annual budget can not be taken up for first reading on Monday's PB regular session as it is not yet included in the calendar of business. - /NLQ (FREEMAN)