Cebu City annual budget hits snag over mayor’s office travel, training expenses

CEBU, Philippines - Appropriation of funds for travels and trainings of special bodies under the Office of the Mayor of Cebu City became a topic of discussion by the city council during the deliberation of the 2014 Annual Budget yesterday.

“I observed naa gyod traveling and training expenses bisan pag- last year pa tapos dagko nga amount baya,” City Councilor Noel Wenceslao said.

Rama has proposed a P10.5-billion annual budget (not supplemental budget as earlier mentioned) but it was reduced by the city council to P5.8 billion, based on “realizable sources of funds”.

Under his office, travel expenses was given a P4.5-million budget while training was allocated over P16 million.

City council members questioned the number of seminars and trainings City Hall employees have to attend, with Majority Floor Leader Margarita Osmeña saying it appeared to them that the employees are “over-trained”.

She said employees might do nothing productive anymore because they are already bombarded with different trainings.

“They (employees) will not able to work kay sige nalang og trainings ma-duplicate na nuon kay Human Resource Management Office mo-provide man og trainings,” Osmeña said.

Wenceslao likewise said he was confused because of the massive amount requested for travel and trainings rather than allocating a substantial amount for essential programs like the anti-drug campaign.

This prompted City Councilor Alvin Dizon to suggest that every department and specials bodies and programs should submit an activity report on trainings and seminars they attended.

Dizon further said that there should be a policy discussion on trainings and seminars considering that they involved a huge amount of money.

“Klaro nga policy sa trainings and traveling with activity report. I-submit ang report (to the department head) stating the content of the seminar,” Dizon said, adding that the city must harmonize its training programs.

He said the activity reports would be used to “improve the delivery of basic services” in Cebu City.

Osmeña also pointed out that attendees of any seminars must be properly selected considering the current financial situation of the city.

The bulk of the travel expenses under Rama’s office as proposed in the Annual Budget includes P1. 6 million for traveling expenses and P800,000 for training expenses under the Office of the mayor; P80,000 for travel expenses and P320,000 for training expenses by the Public Information Office; and P290,000 (travel) and P24,000 (training) for the Protocol Office; P200,000 (training) Private Sector Organization Evaluation and Monitoring Board. — (FREEMAN)