City needs P370M additional budget

CEBU, Philippines - Over P370 million is being requested by different offices of Cebu City Hall to be included in the city’s Supplemental Budget No. 2.

Some P40 million of this amount comprises various requests of the barangays coursed through the City Council. The rest or the P330 million are requests from the different departments and other offices under the Office of the Mayor.

Councilor Jose Daluz III, chairman of the committee on budget and finance, said the amount does not yet include the request from the office of Mayor Michael Rama that would include, among others, the budget for the drainage system and the rehabilitation of the Carbon Market Complex.

Daluz said all the requests will be subject to evaluation to determine its necessity.

Only items that are urgent shall be funded under SB 2 like obligations that need immediate payment and the likes.

Daluz however said he is yet to meet with the mayor to ask the latter if he is keen in passing a supplemental budget or not. The city government is yet to find a source for the SB 2.

According to Daluz, they need to find a source for some P300 million while the rest of the initial proposal will be funded through realignments.

Lump sum requests include the P52 million for the senior citizens and P40 million for the fuel allowance for the months of October to December this year.

The General Services Office requested P40 million additional budget for fuel because the allocation under the Annual Budget amounting to P100 million will only last up to September, considering the continuous increase in the price of fuel.

The Cebu City Medical Center also requested for P10 million for various purposes including additional medicines, among others.

Daluz said the amount may still decrease or increase depending on the result of their thorough evaluation. — (FREEMAN)