DEPW gunning for huge 2013 budget

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City’s Department of Engineering and Public Works will propose more than P2 billion worth of infrastructure projects for the 2013 annual budget in hopes the City Council will approve it.

Although the City Hall’s department heads are still discussing the preparation of the 2013 Annual Budget, Cebu City assistant engineer June Nadine Sison said they would propose a bigger budget. Much higher to this year’s P2.4 billion.

“Anaa ra sa mga sakop sa City Council ang pag-evaluate kon ila ba nga aprobahan ang isugyot namo nga budget,” Sison said.

But Sison admitted that their office still failed to finish the implementation of the P2.4 billion worth of various infrastructure projects that were supposed to be implemented this year.

City Councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña, head of the City Council’s Committee on Budget and Finance, said the failure of the DEPW to finish their projects only proves that the city legislators were correct when it slashed their proposed budgets for 2012.

Mayor Michael Rama said the City Council should not slash the budget for the infrastructure projects, particularly for next year, because it will benefit the people even if he is no longer the mayor.

“Dili nila angay’ng babagan kon pila ang among ibutang nga budget para sa infrastructure projects kay maayo na nga kon mapildi ko o dili na mayor magpadayon man ang projects,” Rama said.

Sison explained that since the budget for the infrastructure projects will be put under the Capital Outlay, it will not go back to the General Fund even if it will not be spent during the year because it is a continuing project.

But Osmeña said the City Council may still not approve the huge budget that will be proposed by Rama unless if the members of the Local Finance Committee, particularly the city treasurer, can convince the city legislators that the expected revenue collection is attainable.  (FREEMAN)