Budget for personnel pay goes up by P1.7M

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City legal office was not spared from the slashing of the city’s budget for 2012, but its budget for personnel services that covers the salary of employees and other benefits increased by P1.7 million.

City Attorney Joseph Bernaldez, however, said the increase was expected because this was assured by the budget office. Last year, the budget for personnel services was P12,920,308 but this increased to P14,667,898 this year.

The legal office proposed a budget of P24 million for 2012 but the budget office only approved P15,297,746.20.

“Kung pila ang ilang ihatag, dawaton namo. Di man ta makapugos nila (Budget Office) kung dili aprubahan ang among gipangayo nga budget,” Bernaldez said during a press briefing yesterday.

Last year, the city legal office had an approved budget of P14,965,308. Of this amount, P12,920,308 was for personnel services; P800,000 was for traveling expenses; P1,095,000 was for maintenance and other operating expenses; and P150,000 was for repair and maintenance of office equipment.

This year, however, except for the budget for personnel services, the budget for other items was slashed.

The P800,000 budget for traveling expenses was reduced to P336,069 while the P1,095,000 budget for maintenance and other operating expenses was reduced to P293,779.20. Nothing was given for repair and maintenance of office equipment this year.

Meanwhile, Bernaldez said the legal office had “qualitative outputs” in legal services in 2011 by rendering routinary legal services to city officials and employees.

Bernaldez said they have conducted investigation on 17 administrative cases; handled cases for and on behalf of city officials sued in their official capacities; and conducted free legal clinic on Saturdays in different barangays in Cebu City.

The office also rendered administrative services by implementing a centralized records management project, procuring additional office equipment and completing the renovation of the legal office. (FREEMAN)