Margot: City did not overspend for ASEAN spouses activities

Cebu City first lady Margarita "Margot" Osmeña yesterday showed a detail of the expenses for the Spouses Program of the 12th ASEAN Summit to erase speculations there was overspending.

Osmeña, who is the Cebu chairperson for the Sub-Committee on the Spouses Program of the summit said that in fact, their expenses was even lower than the budget they proposed to the ASEAN National Organizing Committee.

She stressed that the NOC allocated P1,559,195 for the Cebu City activities of the Spouses Program but their total actual expenses only totaled to P1,525,020, which was spent for the three major activities in Cebu City - the welcome dinner at the Malacañang sa Sugbu, Friendship Garden at the Family Park in Talamban and the "Laag-Laag" at the city's downtown area.

Osmeña said the money was spent for the meals of the performers, working committee and technical staff (P173,420); equipment rental for the welcome dinner at the Malacañang sa Sugbu (P230,000); decorations for the Malacañang sa Sugbu (P186,000); food and drinks for the spouses at the ASEAN Friendship Garden (P33,600); and musical and cultural presentations (P902,000).

The first lady said that the city government even allocated additional budget of P596,750 for the meals of the performers and working committee, equipment rentals, costumes of performers and uniforms of communicators and security personnel. Of the allocated budget, she said the actual expenses only reached P513,300.

With regards to the expenses of the NOC, Osmeña explained that there is no way that they would be overpriced because "all items have contracts." Like in food for example, she said the NOC issued the payment directly to the caterer after the food is served.

"The money doesn't pass by me because they are all backed by contracts. No contract, no pay," she stressed.

According to her, they have underestimated their expenses and their proposed budget to the NOC was not enough to cover all their expenses. But she said the city government allocated additional funding. The private sector also provided assistance both in cash and in kind, she added.

Osmeña said that monetary support from private entities amounted to P880,000. She said that two bakeshops provided their working committee pandesal for free. Some donated cloth for the performers' costumes, while others offered their service for free.

"We got tremendous help from the private community," the first lady said.

She said that the best contribution of the activity is that it is permanent and not only during the ASEAN summit, citing the ASEAN Friendship Garden at the Family Park which has now become a major attraction among the park visitors.

"We can't pay the pride and the hospitality of the people of Cebu." - Wenna A. Berondo