Council approves two supplemental budgets

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Council yesterday approved the P483 million first and second supplemental budgets that include appropriations for the salary increases of the City Hall’s 5,000 employees.

“Dagko na g’yod og sweldo ang mga empleyado sa City Hall kay sugdan na nato pagpatuman ang gimando nga salary increase sa mga empleyado sa gobiyerno,” said Councilor Jose Daluz III, chairman of the council committee on budget and finance.

Malacañang had approved the 100 per cent salary increase for the government employees that would be implemented in staggered basis. The Cebu City government will implement the 25 per cent increase this month.

With the latest round of salary increase, Mayor Tomas Osmeña will now receive a monthly salary of more than P40,000 while each of the city councilors will receive about P37,000.

“Kon dunay kwarta ang dakbayan mahimong matag tuig mopa-increase ta sa sweldo sa mga empleyado hangtud nga matuman ang 100 percent nga salary increase. Pero hinuon og walay kwarta ang usa ka local government unit, dili man sab kini pugson pagpatuman og increase,” Daluz explained.

Once the 100 percent salary increase is fully implemented after four years, Osmeña will stand to receive about P80,000. City councilor will have P60,000 each.

Not only City Hall employees will benefit from the approval of the twin supplemental budgets. That is because P128 million of the budgets will also benefit the city’s 32,000 senior citizens who will receive P4,000 cash assistance before April. Persons with disabilities will each receive P2,000 cash assistance, while the barangay tanods will get additional monthly honorariums of P2,000.

Honorariums for the barangay health workers, Lupong Tagapamayapa, daycare teachers and barangay nutrition scholars will also increase by P1,000.

But the bulk of the supplemental budgets will go to the barangay projects, including the P9 million for the mini-dam to be constructed in barangays Apas and Busay.

The mini-dam is intended to minimize the flooding in the lowland areas of the city such as Banilad and Kasambagan. — Rene U. Borromeo/LPM   (FREEMAN NEWS)