Provincial Board passes P18.3 billion budget for 2022

CEBU, Philippines —  The Cebu Provincial Board (PB) has passed the proposed P18.3 billion budget for next year, which is over P3 billion higher than this year's P15 billion appropriation.

It was "unanimously" approved on third and final reading by the members of the board during their regular session Monday, November 22.

Sixth District Board Member Glenn Anthony Soco, who chairs the PB’s Committee on Budget and Appropriations and the principal author of the Appropriation Ordinance, said there were no objections and amendments made during the budget deliberations.

"The Proposed Annual Budget for 2022 is a carefully considered, deliberated and acted upon plans and programs by the members of the Committee on Budget and Appropriations, together with the Local Finance Committee."

"It is found to be complete in form and substance as all the necessary and required local budget preparation forms and attachments are appended to it, with an itemized substantiation of the functions, programs, projects, activities and other expenditures viz-a-viz their projected fund sources, from regular local sources and collections and from extraordinary sources," Soco said in his budget speech.

Soco said the province was able to "design its plans and programs which are aspiring, but with due regard for prudent allocations. It demonstrates exemplary fiscal management and revenue-generating initiatives".

The bulk of the budget for 2022 is for the infrastructure and health services, including projects under the COVID-19 recovery program.

The Capitol earmarked P6.2 billion for construction of hospitals and other medical facilities, and improvement of public health services and hospital services; and P4.9 billion for the expansion of the province's road networks. — KQD (FREEMAN)