Villarante tells councilor: Stop plaints on slashed budget for fiesta celebration

CEBU, Philippines – Talisay City Vice Mayor Romeo Villarante advised Councilor Valeriano “Val” Ylanan to stop complaining over the slashed budget for socio-cultural activities in line with the city’s fiesta celebration next month.

In yesterday’s session, Ylanan, who headed the committee for fiesta celebration, expressed his difficulty in handling the fiesta celebration because of the limited budget given to his committee.

Ylanan lamented over the act of the majority of his colleagues in the Council for slashing his proposed P3.5 million budget for the fiesta activities into P1 million only.

He said he found it very unfair this time because last year the Council gave the exact amount as proposed for the event. In 2014, the same committee was headed by Councilors Doroteo Emit and Aldin Diaz.

Villarante then told Ylanan there were no other ways to seek for financial assistance for the celebration and the councilor had to rely only on the approved budget. He then advised the councilor to make a follow up of his resolutions seeking for financial assistance from the provincial government. Emit, for his part, said the administration should not use the budget as its scapegoat for its inability to implement and manage the job at hand. “We are given our mandate, then do it Councilor Val,” he said.

Emit also said the City Council has every reason to slash the proposed budget because last year, the P3.5 million allocation for socio-cultural activities was never utilized during the fiesta.

“Why were we able to do it, last year? It’s true, the P3.5 million was there, but we did not use it. It was not even released by the mayor then. For this reason, we now slashed your proposed budget because the amount was never used before. Why complain now?” Emit told Ylanan.

The executive committee for the celebration of the annual fiesta in honor of patron saint Sta. Teresa de Avila in Talisay City was reportedly still struggling with its finances.

City administrator John Yre de los Reyes already blamed the City Council for trimming the budget which he said was the reason the Inasal Festival will not push through this year. The festival is supposed to be the highlight of the fiesta, but due to the limited budget, it will be scrapped this year, he said.

The Inasal Festival became the city’s festival because of its renowned lechon or roasted pig. It started during the incumbency of then mayor Eduardo Gullas in 2001 and was aimed at promoting the city and its specialty.

But Councilor Socrates Fernandez said the fiesta celebration can still push through even with limited budget. “Dili diay maka-pista ang simbahan kung wala’y kalingawan aron pwerte ang sugal?” he said.

Diaz said the executive committee, now headed by the Office of the Mayor, can still make the celebration spirited but not extravagant. He recalled that when he handled the festival last year, they only spent not more than P3 million, as there was financial assistance from the Cebu provincial government.

Last year, Diaz tapped the organizers, the AIM Promotions and Spring Production, for the 15-day “Kasadya sa Talisay” in line with the fiesta celebration. “Unsa ma’y nahitabo atong panahona nga kami ang midala? Dugay kaayo na-release ang payments ngadto sa organizers, nangita pa gani mi og itapal nga P1.2 million to the organizers,” Diaz added.