Cebu City Council trims down Supplemental Budget 1

CEBU, Philippines — After rounds of deliberations and two waves of legislative processes, the Cebu City Council has approved the first Supplemental Budget (SB1) of the year, albeit with reductions, including allocations for Charter Day bonuses.

During the regular session yesterday, March 26, 2025, the Committee Chairman for Budget and Finance, Councilor Noel Wenceslao, presented the report and recommendations based on their assessment of the proposed SB 1.

In his report, he stated that these findings were derived from the second wave of budget hearings, right after they had resolved that SB 1 should be resubmitted by the executive department for the recommended amendments.

Among the salient points and amendments that Wenceslao highlighted was the alleged “lack of interest” on the part of the Office of the Mayor as the implementing office for the Livelihood Program, amounting to P88 million.

He stressed that the office had unjustifiably failed to explain and present the program despite repeated invitations and requests to send a representative to present the direction of the program to the council.

“In conclusion, since there is no clear direction and explanation for the livelihood program, this committee cannot put forward the said program due to these reasons,” he told the body.

Wenceslao then highlighted that this particular item would be reduced to P1 from P88 million. It can be remembered that it was originally proposed at P100 million but was trimmed to P88 million to support the increase of the Charter Day bonuses from P25,000 to P35,000.

This led to the trimming down of Supplemental Budget 1 to P587.7 million, from the proposed amount of P635 million.

During the discussion, Councilor James Anthony Cuenco, who is also a member of the Committee on Budget and Finance, sought clarity on the decision to trim down the Livelihood Program, which he stressed was proposed at P88 million to accommodate the increase in the bonuses.

Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera also highlighted that they had taken into consideration that, even during the first round of the budget hearing, the personnel in charge of the Livelihood Program did not appear to justify the items.

She also noted that this account had not been included in the request for the certification from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) regarding the ban on the disbursement of public funds.

Cuenco, however, pointed out that the Livelihood Program is no longer a new item, as it was already included in the 2024 budget. He added that the executive department did not include it in the Comelec exemption, as they had planned to release it after the election.

But Wenceslao argued that the executive department was given ample time to defend the item to no avail, hence the slashed proposal.

“It is now evident that we are willing to increase the bonuses of the City Hall employees, but we are unwilling to help the beneficiaries of the Livelihood Program for our city. There would have been a lot of poor people who could benefit,” said Cuenco.

Pesquera, however, argued that the Office of the City Mayor is implementing the P145 million budget intended for the Livelihood Program under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), to which Cuenco countered that it was zeroed out in the 2025 annual budget.

As the discussion progressed, Cuenco manifested that he wasn’t consulted in the drafting of the committee report, hence the absence of his signature on the approval. In line with this, he then raised his abstention.

He further declared the vacancy of his post as a member of the Committee on Budget and Finance and moved for a replacement. Wenceslao, however, debunked the claim that Cuenco was not informed, while Pesquera sought his reconsideration.

“This has already become a pattern for the approval of the 2025 budget,” he said, adding that it may become a practice moving forward.

“I do not just want to be like a prop,” he added.

The council, however, called a recess on the matter, and upon resumption, Cuenco withdrew his resignation.

Despite this, the council approved the Committee report of Wenceslao. In the same session, Wenceslao moved for the final reading of SB 1, to which the council also approved. — /ATO (FREEMAN)