P221 million budget for Rama's first 100 days okayed

CEBU, Philippines – The Cebu City Council yesterday approved the P221 million supplemental budgets for Mayor Michael Rama's programs and projects within his first 100 days.

The bulk of the total appropriations was contained in the Supplemental Budget no. 3 of Special Accounts amounting to P163.617 million while the P62.65 million was for SB No. 4 of General Funds.

P35 million of SB No. 4 was earmarked under the General Services Office for the purchase of fuel, supplies and materials for motor vehicles and for security services, P1 million for the establishment of band, P4 million under the office of the City Administrator for accounts payable incurred in the past and P9 million for the city's burial assistance program.

The P15 million for the traffic maintenance to be implemented by the City Traffic Operations and Management, P30 million for the medical assistance, P31.5 million for the retreading and paving of city streets and bridges, P24 million to pay for the 16 units of buses distributed to the mountain barangays and P15 million for the renovation of the City Hall building including the purchase of additional furniture and fixtures formed part of the SB 3 of Special Accounts.

SB 3 also includes P20 million for Phase I of the renovation of Plaza Independencia, P7 million for the purchase of 44 units of motorcycles for the city police officers and P16 million for the purchase of four units of brand new garbage trucks.

The original proposed SB 3 includes the purchase of a dredging machine but it was slashed to give way to the P24 million statutory obligations of the city to the supplier of the 16 buses given to the mountain barangays.

Other items affected are the budget for fuel which was originally for P30 million but was reduced to P26 million. One unit of garbage truck supposedly at P4 million was also sacrificed so the city will now be able to purchase only four units with P16 million. Rama's proposed brass band and chorale even if the budget was slashed but will still get P1 million instead of P2 million. 

Eighty percent of the source of the two supplemental budgets is from the realignment of previous appropriations that were not utilized.

The biggest chunk would come from the realignment of this year's financial assistance to barangay projects amounting to P153.5 million.

Some P20 million will come from the realignment of the unused funds of the city's scholarship program.

The city can also use about P4 million from the realignment of unused funds for the Special Program for Employment of Students.

Other sources are from the Internal Revenue Allotment difference in the years 2000, 2001 and 2004 accumulating to almost P26 million while P17 million will be sourced from the reversion of accounts payable in 2007 and 2008. (THE FREEMAN)