Chan says effects of reenacted budget felt

CEBU, Philippines — Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan said that Oponganons are now seeing the effects of a reenacted budget with the majority of the members of the City Council blocking the passage of this year’s annual budget.

Chan has proposed an annual budget of P3 billion but the city government has been forced to utilize its 2021 annual budget of P2.7 billion or lower by P300 million.

The mayor cited among its effects is the dilapidated road beside the newly-completed drainage project.

There are criticisms by the mayor’s detractors that the project contractor left the drainage project for failure to pave the road but the mayor denied this.

“It’s not true, that’s fake news,” said the mayor, adding that, “the contractor’s responsibility is only the concrete drainage as concreting of the road is not included. Naa ‘tay budget for road concreting but the problem is the City Council did not approve the annual budget.”

Also a separate budget of P72 million is allocated for the building and concreting of the drainage project which was already utilized.

The drainage project runs from the Palace of Justice through and around City Hall and at the back of City Hall, it goes to New Sangi Road and branches off, one up to St. Dominic School and up to Matumbo Road.

Some portions beside these concreted drainages at the back of City Hall remain dilapidated.

“Naay mga roads beside that (drainage) nga nangaguba which is about to be repaired and we allocated budget for that for the concreting but the problem, gibabagan sa konseho,” the mayor told reporters in a press conference.

This means, the mayor said, the budget for drainage is separate from the road concreting project.

Chan has long submitted to the City Council the proposed 2022 budget last year.

“Adto pang September (2021) kahibawo naman gud sila. You know its politics behind that budget,” the mayor said, adding that the result of this coming election will determine the fate of all their pending projects.

“Kung unsay resulta sa election naa na man na siya, aprobahan na lang so that it will be implemented,” Chan added. — GMR (FREEMAN)