DAGUPAN CITY’s proposed P568 million budget for 2011 was finally approved in a special session last Wednesday after more than two months of protracted deliberations by the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP), but it was severely cut by P80 million with the city mayor’s office’s budget drastically reduced by more than P22 million.
By a vote of eight against the nay votes of the four minority members, the SP on motion of majority Councilor Luis Samson Jr. enacted Draft Ordinance No.-443 entitled “An Ordinance Authorizing the Annual Budget of City Government of Dagupan for Fiscal Year 2011 in the Total Amount of P487,116,296.73 Covering the Various Expenditures for the Operation of the Dagupan City Government for Fiscal Year 2011, and Appropriating the Necessary Funds for the Purpose.
Under the approved budget, the maintenance and other operating expenditures of the city mayor’s office was slashed by P22,099,500 from the proposed budget of P35,444,729.08, which is higher only by more than P8 million compared to last year’s budget of P27,617,205 of the previous administration.
On the local travelling expenses , the SP only approved P600,000 from the proposed P1 million; foreign travelling expenses, P600,000 from P1 million; training expenses, P600,000 from P700,000; office supplies expense, P800,000 from P1.8 million; gasoline, oil and lubricant – P2 million from P3.5 million; other supplies expenses, P400,000 from P600,000.
Advertising expense was hacked by P400,000 from the proposed budget of P800,000. On printing and binding expenses, the approved budget is only half of the proposed P1 million.
The mayor’s representation expense was also cut by P800,000 leaving only P700,000. On consultancy services, the proposed budget was sliced by P1,799,000.
Donations amounting to P11,500,000, which is the same as last year’s approved budget was totally slashed depriving city hall employees of their quarterly rice ration.
Confidential expenses were cut by P1.5 million while the proposed intelligence fund of P2 million was totally disapproved by the SP.
The other regular offices affected by the big cut are the Public Order and Safety Office losing P480,000 in its proposed P600,000 budget for printing and binding expenses and another P100,000 from its proposed P200,000 on the purchase of additional motor vehicles.
The Waste Management Division Office’s proposed budget on gasoline, oil and lubricant was reduced to P2 million.
... The City Budget Office’s proposed budget on furniture and fixtures under capital outlay amounting to P50,000 was likewise disapproved.
The budget for emergency workers and other professional services was cut to P23,400,600 or a difference of P17,391,400.90 from the proposed budget leaving a balance of only P16,889,106.10 for the rest of the year.
On security and protective services, the approved budget is P1,296,000 out of the proposed budget of P4,752,000, while the consultancy services budget was slashed by P1,799,500.
Several proposed budgets under non-offices were likewise cut or disapproved. The youth and sports development proposed budget of P3 million was disapproved along with tourism program (P1 million); publication and information program (P3,425,000); various events and activities (P1,298,377.27); management information system (P5 million); topographic survey (P4 million); repair and maintenance of government building, facilities and other structure (3 million); maintenance and improvement of people’s astrodome, parks and plazas (P3 million); the cultural heritage commission programs (P1 million) and various infrastructure projects (P7 million).
The other non-offices have their budget slashed like nutrition program leaving only P1,701,550 from the proposed budget of P2,358,510; social services program was slashed by P2,149,000; ecological and environmental sanitation program, P2,106,000; anti-littering program, P624,000; engineering services program, P1,638,000; public enterprise and revenue generation, P4,190,866; special projects and programs of the city (training and RPT tax mapping), P1,316,000; development management of the city, P6,254,000; flood mitigation and control, P500,000; traffic management, peace and order and other special project and activities, P900,000; implementation of fishery ordinance, P400,000; gender and development, P400,000; and purchase and maintenance of sanitation and waste collection equipment, P500,000.
The 20 percent development fund, which was already approved by the Local Development Council, was subject to further review and approval by the SP calling it as unauthorized.
The programs and projects under the 20 percent development fund are the building of a maternal and children’s lying-in clinic (phase 1), purchase and maintenance of sanitation and waste collection equipment, day care/child focused program, improvement of city’s drainage/sewerage system, nutrition program, urban greening program, sidewalk recovery program, improvement of city’s economic enterprise facilities, entrepreneurship/investment promotion, improvement/upgrade of street lights, Tondaligan Park Redevelopment program and assistance to barangay of P100,000 each.
In totaling the expenditures, a discrepancy appears that instead of P487,116,296.73 as approved under the said ordinance, the total amount really approved by the SP is P487,556,296.73. (CIO – Joseph C. Bacani)
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