Davide to PB: Don’t slash budget

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III is appealing to the members of the Provincial Board not to slash his proposed P3.6 billion annual budget for 2017.

"We hope aprobahan sa PB ang entire budget and dili i-slash," Davide said.

Davide said they have thoroughly scrutinized and deliberated the proposed budget and it is within the need of the province.

"Since 2013, we want a realistic budget na mohaum sa panginahanglan sa province. The departments prepared the budget, we assessed their proposal and we ask them questions. It's now the time for the PB to ask questions about the budget that we submitted and we hope they will approve it," he said.

Majority of the PB members, however, are allies of Davide in the Liberal Party. The minority bloc is composed only of Board Members Sun Shimura and Thadeo Jovito "Jonkie" Ouano, both allies of One Cebu Party.

Board Member Miguel Magpale, chairman of the committee on budget and appropriations, will hold a series of budget hearings starting tomorrow, Nov. 22 to 24. It will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Vice Governor's conference room.

The P3.6 billion budget proposal next year is 5.1 percent higher or P175 million more than this year's P3.4 billion budget.

Of the P3.6 billion, P881.9 million was earmarked for hospital operations. The amount is higher by 24.4 percent from this year's P646.1 million.

Provincial budget officer Danilo Rodas said the increase will be used to upgrade the provincial hospitals in Carcar City and Danao City from Level 1 to Level 2. A level 1 hospital has a 50-bed capacity while a Level 2 hospital has a 150-bed capacity.

The budget for the purchase of medicine and medical supplies also increased substantially to P30 million from the current P23.8 million. The Provincial Health Office itself is asking for a separate allocation of P488 million, which is 12 percent higher than this year's P433 million.

The Office of the Governor also increased its budget next year to P614.8 million from P607 million this year. Almost all departments in the provincial government have asked for a bigger budget for 2017.

Frontline offices such as the Social Welfare and Development asked for P135 million, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office asked for P166 million, the Veterinarian's Office asked for P34.6M, and the Provincial Agriculture's Office asked for P109.5 million.

As part of province's countryside development project, Capitol allocated P26.9M for the farmers and fisherfolks to equip them with facilities and tools to increase production.

Capitol is also proposing a budget of P40 million for the Farmer Scientist Research Development and Extension Training Program and another P3.1 million for the Fisherfolk Scientist RDE Training Program.

Some offices, however, have asked for smaller budget next year. The Engineering's Office, for one, only wants P86.3 million way below its current budget of P146 million.

The Provincial Planning and Development Office also lowered its budget projection to P32 million from P44 million. The Provincial General Services Office is also down to P129 million from P147 million, and the Provincial Treasurer's Office is down to P82 million from its 2016 budget of P137 million.

Even the Office of the Vice Governor and the Provincial Board are only asking smaller budget next year. The Office of the Vice Governor has proposed P65 million budget next year lower than the P62 million this year. The PB's budget for 2017 is only P134 million as against its current budget of P178 million.

Also included in the proposed budget is the P74 million for the first year amortization payment of Capitol's P200 million loan from Land Bank of the Philippines. The money, which Capitol plans to pay in three years, was used to purchase heavy and light equipment.

The Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center has proposed P118.6 million budget, also higher than its current budget of P102 million. The money will be used to construct more detention cells and improve the infirmary for which P10 million is allocated.

The Cebu South Bus Terminal, one of Capitol's economic enterprises, has asked for a budget of P43 million from P38 million. (FREEMAN)