CH can utilize P13.6M of P31M unspent funds

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City government can only utilized for the moment P13.6 million of the over P31 million undisbursed funds accumulated for 10 years.

The committee on budget and finance chaired by Councilor Margot Osmeña sees no legal impediment to utilize the P13.6 million undisbursed balance from 2001 to 2011 to augment the city government's budget for project allocations such as financial assistance to senior citizens, persons with disability, barangay health workers, among others.

However, the committee said the remaining P17 million should be checked thoroughly.

"We are of the opinion that there is no harm in the cancellation of the P13,579,009.26 which represents the balances from the disbursements. However, on the P17,862,377.87 that there were no utilizations at all. This committee (budget and finance) believes that there is a need to inform the proponents that such financial assistance exists," the committee report reads.

 The City Council has set an executive session next week to ask the city accountant and treasurer if the P17 million could still be reprioritized or realigned.

 The Cebu City government has a total of P31.4 million undisbursed balances from year 2001 to 2011. The City Council is planning to realign the money for this year's projects.

 Acting city accountant Mark Rossel Solomon confirmed the existence of the undisbursed funds from PAGCOR.

Some of the unutilized appropriations were prioritized for the concreting of lined canals worth P1.1 million for Echavez Street in Barangay Lorega-San Miguel; construction of multi-purpose building amounting to P630,000 in Barangay Pung-ol Sibugay; P460,400 for nine units of motorcycles for mobility augmentation for the peace and order program of the city, and P300,000 for one unit of a service bus for Barangay Sambag 1, among others.

 To realign the undisbursed balances, Solomon reiterated that it needs a council resolution to utilize the said amount.

  "As to the real status of the undisbursed balances of the said projects, the city accounting office has no knowledge if there will be no more claims on these," the city accountant said.

  "We wish to remind you (City Council), that the realignment of undisbursed balances of PAGCOR prioritized projects should be supported by an approved Sangguniang Panlungsod resolution and that any claims chargeable against these realigned projects will be reprioritized," he added.  (FREEMAN)