Mayor ‘confident’ of council's nod for P15B annual budget

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival expressed confidence that the City Council would approve his proposed P15 billion annual budget for 2027, noting that the spending plan reflects the city’s most pressing needs.

This was according to Chief of Staff Kenneth Siasar during his latest briefing.

The proposal, which has already been submitted to the legislative body, allocates nearly half of the funds, or P7.06 billion, to general public services, with health care, waste management, and digital modernization among the priorities.

During his latest press briefing, Siasar explained that the allocations were based on departmental requests reviewed by the Office of the Mayor.

“Na submit sa legislative ang budget for next year and then we are awaiting for our schedule to defend that sa City Council,” he said.

He emphasized that the priorities include completing the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC), which has received P600 million for construction but requires additional funding for equipment; strengthening solid waste management through landfill solutions; augmenting the city’s service vehicles; and upgrading digital systems.

According to the official budget document, the breakdown of the P15 billion proposal includes P7.06 billion for general public services, P4.49 billion for social services, P1.09 billion for economic services, P750 million for the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund, P851.47 million for the Local Development Fund, P750.89 million in aid to barangays, and P10 million for miscellaneous purposes.

Siasar explained why general public services received the largest allocation, noting that the funds cover frontline operations involving the City Health Department, CCMC, the Department of Public Services, and the Department of General Services.

“Mao ni ang mga maka compose sa atong Public Services nga mas dako ang ilang panginahanglan, kay mao man na ang daily operation nato,” he explained.

Siasar added that Mayor Archival and the rest of the Mayor’s Office were confident that the City Council would approve the proposal.

“As far as the Office of the Mayor is concerned, we are positive nga maaprubahan sa City Council ang atong gi pangayong budget next year, tungod kay we are asking the different department heads to determine and identify the needs of their department, and mao ni atong gibasehan sa atong submission,” Siasar said.

The proposal also includes plans to purchase electric vehicles in line with national mandates to reduce fuel consumption and protect the environment. It also provides for barangay-level firefighting equipment designed to navigate narrow interior roads, while larger units would handle main thoroughfares.

Deliberations are expected to begin in the coming days, with department heads scheduled to defend their respective budget allocations before the City Council. — (FREEMAN)