City Council postpones budget hearing

CEBU, Philippines – The budget hearing for the two proposed supplemental appropriations of Mayor Michael Rama is postponed to November 9.

The Cebu City Council failed to establish a quorum yesterday as its members apparently had other priorities to rush to before they go to Camarines Sur for a study tour.  

All of them, except for Councilors Ronald Cuenco, Rodrigo Abellanosa and Eugenio Faelnar, are joining the tour.

They will stay there for the next four days to learn things that might be applicable to Cebu City.

"We've been hearing a lot of good things about this province and the council wants to see what is there that we may replicate here. But unfortunately I cannot go because of health problems," Abellanosa said.

Mayor Michael Rama said he has no problem with the delay as items in the proposed Supplement Budget 5 for General Fund and Supplemental Budget 4 for Special Account are not urgent.

The budgets contain mostly appropriations to continue projects that he implemented during his first 100 days.

Besides, he said, forcing the council to pass his proposed budget is not his character. City Treasurer Ofelia (CTO) Oliva also said that only the P18.5 million-Election Reserve Fund requested by the Commission on Election in Cebu City is the most urgent request but they had no choice now but to wait until next week.

The Election Reserve Fund shall include the additional allowance for teachers who served during the elections and the overtime pay of CTO employees.

Teachers who served as Board of Election Tellers shall receive additional P500 from the city government.

The SB 5 for the General Fund amounting to P1.3 billion includes the P21-million subsidy for the Cebu City Medical Center for its operation, P9 million for the burial assistance program, P30 million for the City Hospitalization and Medical Assistance Program, P5 million for the street lighting and parking and another P5 million for the city's Night Dwellers project.

To equip the city's fire fighters, Rama proposed some P20 million for the purchase of fire fighting equipment and accessories. Also, SB 5 includes P101.9 million for the IT equipment and software and P6.4 million for the medical, dental and laboratory equipment for CCMC.

About P306 million is for the purchase of vehicles like ambulance, bulldozer and heavy equipment. The city's aid to the barangays like the construction of daycare, additional garbage collectors, Lupon, uniform for barangay workers and rice assistance, among others, amount to P81 million.

Construction, repairs, maintenance and improvement of various buildings includes the P20-million for the renovation of the Office of the Civil Registrar, P60 million for the construction of Collection Districts and P100 million for the improvement of school buildings.

Concreting and asphalting of roads will also get P100 million each while the repair and construction of drainage will get P50 million.

The SB 4 for Special Accounts includes personal services cost and maintenance and other operating expenses of the City Traffic Operations and Management, CCMC, Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor, City Market and City Abattoir. (FREEMAN)