Mayor Garcia believes: Politics shapes budget decision

CEBU, Philippines — This was the evaluation of Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia when asked for his reaction on the slashing of his proposed budget from P17.9 billion to P14.6 billion.

The P14.6 budget was officially approved and signed by Cebu City Vice Mayor Donaldo Hontiveros last Saturday while he was serving as acting mayor.

The political alliances in Cebu City were defined in October. Cebu City's Legislative officials were primarily members of the majority bloc under Partido BARUG Team Rama, led by dismissed Mayor Michael Rama.

However, when Garcia announced his official bid for the 2025 mayoral race, the majority bloc became divided. Most members aligned with Garcia’s ticket, while others chose to remain loyal to Partido BARUG.

While the deliberations for the budget were intense, one of the most heavily discussed topics was the trimming down of budget appropriations for "pro-poor" programs, particularly the provision of dole outs to the public. Some council members emphasized that it was time for the Cebu City government to realign budgetary allocations toward investments rather than dole outs.

Garcia, however, said that the P17.9 billion budget proposal was intended to focus on investments for Cebu City.

"We had a lot of initiatives, for example, flood control nga ila sad gi-reduced. We wanted to build up mini dams so that ma-lessen atong flooding diri sa ubos and then that will also bring investments and then it will attract more investor to come," said Garcia.

He then argued that of the P17.9 billion, it was unreasonable not to allot at least P100 million for livelihood or economic grants, which, to him, the people need.

During the budget deliberation, Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera noted that the city’s social programs had been consuming at least 60 percent of the city government's budget, draining its coffers. She also emphasized that it was high time the city allocated more funds for investments and infrastructure.

According to Garcia, his proposal was supposed to be a "balanced budget" that considered various factors, including infrastructure, pro-poor programs, and agriculture.

"Sad to say nga ni focus lang gyud sila kining atong mga pro-poor programs kay mao lagi na, di man ko maka blame nila kay as I have said, political season," said Garcia.

He reiterated a comparison to the previous budget of P50 billion in 2023 and P25 billion in 2024, both of which were approved and proposed by a different administration.

"Now, with the P17.9 billion, which is very realistic, they reduced it. So, of course, politics plays a role in these things," said Garcia.

Garcia, having been in politics for quite a while, said he "understands" the political scene and that the events surrounding the budget have been influenced by it.

Garcia added that he is "definite" that the fallout among council members contributed to the polarization of their stance on the budget, which eventually led to a divided house.

"I don't want to put it in a negative light but of course, that has something to do with elections and politics, kay mao gud na ilang gi tyabaw, dole outs, dole outs," said Garcia.

According to him, dole outs are still necessary in government but should not be overemphasized. He noted that it was during the time of Rama, his former political ally and running mate, that financial assistance for senior citizens, including persons with disabilities (PWDs), was introduced.

He admitted, however, that dole outs should be utilized in moderation.

Additionally, one of the areas trimmed down was the Climate Mitigation and Adaptation budget, which was reduced from P100 million to P1.

Garcia expressed disappointment, saying there were various plans that could have been executed had the budget been approved, especially in terms of infrastructure for flood mitigation, such as drainage installations and mini dams in upland areas. He added that it could also have helped with irrigation for farmers.

"I am kind of disappointed nga ila ng gi slash kay this could really help a lot in our flood mitigation programs," said Garcia.

Despite the trimmed budget, Garcia expressed satisfaction with how the council deliberated on the annual budget, adding that P14.6 billion is still a workable sum.

It was during the same deliberation when Councilor Noel Wenceslao, chairman of the Committee on Budget and Finance, delivered his committee report, which officially recommended multiple amendments.

As indicated in the committee report, the City Treasurer's Office reported that the city’s revenue as of October 31, 2024, was just over P8 billion, a significant shortfall compared to the projected income of more than P98 billion. Based on this, the committee also noted that the city’s actual income was far below the target income for 2024.

After scrutiny, the council approved the committee report on second reading, despite seven objections. In the same session, Wenceslao also motioned for the approval of the Annual Budget for 2025, with the amended amount of P14.6 billion, which was also approved despite the seven objections. — (FREEMAN)