P39.5 billion in Cebu City’s AIP okayed

CEBU, Philippines — At least P39.5 billion was approved to be incorporated in the city’s Annual Investment Plan (AIP) for 2023 by the Cebu City Development Council (CCDC).

As reported by the city’s Public Information Office (PIO), the CCDC approved separate resolutions for the four different sectoral committees and their respective proposals for the different programs, projects, and activities (PPA) during its full council meeting on Wednesday.

Lawyer Collin Rosell, Mayor Michael Rama’s executive secretary, presided over the meeting on behalf of the mayor.

Present in the meeting were barangay captains, city government department heads and office heads, and representatives of regional government agencies, non-government organizations, and people’s organizations.

Rosell said that, in general, the AIP is the city’s mode of consulting the people and letting the people participate in the budgeting process.

The AIP’s exact amount is P39,527,716,042.51, wherein P14.57 billion was allocated for the social sector, P12.83 billion for the institutional sector, P10.9 billion for the economic sector, and P1.23 billion for the environment sector.

From the CCDC, this will be forwarded to the City Council for approval.

The AIP will serve as the basis for the inclusions on the proposed 2023 annual budget of the city that the executive department is expected to submit to the council later this month.

Through this program, the city asks suggestions from the public on what PPAs should they pursue and carry out in the upcoming year.

“We all know the vision of our mayor is a Singapore-like Cebu City. That is not an easy vision to carry out. In going to that, we hope and pray that all of us will be representing the genuine concerns of the people,” said Rosell. – GAN (FREEMAN)