PB cuts budget for dev’t projects

CEBU, Philippines - The Province of Cebu will have less development projects and activities this year after the Provincial Board slashed its proposed budget by P158 million.

Suspended Governor Gwendolyn Garcia proposed a P520-million budget for development programs but the PB slashed it to only P362 million.

The PB passed last Monday the P3.2 billion budget for 2013, which is P400 million less than the  P3.6 billion proposed by Garcia last year.

The P90 million under social services which is for for the construction, rehabilitation, furnishing, maintenance of hospitals, birthing and health centers was reduced to P70 million while the P25 million for site development program for housing, parks, plazas, monuments and other community was reduced to P15 million.

The P38 million for Government on Wheels for Emergency Needs (GWEN) Program which is for the purchase of multicabs and mini-ambulances was reduced to P28.5 million.

Water supply development program has an allocation of P50 million while environment program has P10 million.

Under the economic services, instead of getting P10 million for the Malapascua and other eco-tourism, resort development program, it was cut to P8 million while the construction, rehabilitation, furnishing, maintenance of buildings and other structures get P45 million from the proposed P80 million.

The P50 million for airport, seaport, reclamation and other economic enterprise site development program was slashed to P30 million while the P72 million for road, bridge, highway construction and rehabilitation program was cut to P60 million.

The livelihood, entrepreneurship and local government units loan support program has only P5 million from the proposed P20 million.

The PB also slashed the non-office expenditures under the Office of the Governor from P710 million to P599.5 million.

The P65 million for the peace and order program is now P50 million and the P25 million for confidential and intelligence expenses was cut to P5 million.

The P30 million for the Expanded Green and Wholesome Environment that Nurtures (E-GWEN) Program was reduced to P15 million while the P1 million for the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council program was deleted.

The P15 million for the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo and other provincial culture and arts development program for this year was reduced to P5 million and the P7.6 million for Suroy-Suroy Sugbo and other provincial tourism programs was reduced to P3 million.  (FREEMAN)