CEBU - Today is a regular holiday, but the members of the Cebu City Council will convene in a special session this morning to appropriate funds, from the city’s calamity budget, for the repair of roads and streetlights.
Acting mayor Michael Rama said that majority of the councilors agreed in a conference yesterday the holding of a special session at 10 a.m. today to allow spending of part of the remaining P28-million calamity funds for road repair and replacement of busted streetlamps.
“We will just authorize the appropriation of calamity funds to purchase asphalt and lights for our streets,” acting Vice Mayor Hilario Davide, III said.
Davide explained that there is no need anymore to declare the city under a state of calamity because the council already declared a continuing state of calamity preparedness early this year.
Rama said the city still has P28 million in calamity funds and that they want the amount spent for the rehabilitation of roads and replacement of busted city lights.
Many of the city roads, particularly Echavez and Sikatuna Streets, are found to be badly damaged by the downpour and the flow of passenger jeepneys bound for the Banilad-Talamban area.
The Commission on Audit earlier reminded officials of the local government units to follow the policies on the use of calamity funds.
Section 324 (d) of the Local Government Code provides that the Local Calamity Fund can be utilized for relief, reconstruction, rehabilitation and other works or services related to calamities or disasters that may occur during the budget year, provided that such funds are utilized only in areas declared under a state of calamity.
Every local government unit is mandated to set aside five percent, from its estimated revenues for the year, for calamities. – Rene U. Borromeo/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)