For the mayor’s Office: Items under P1.6B budget questioned

CEBU, Philippines - Some members of the Cebu City Council are questioning the items under the proposed annual budget under the Office of the Mayor.

During the budget hearing yesterday, Councilor Margarita Osmeña, head of the council’s committee on budget and finance, questioned the P1.6 billion proposed budget under the Office of the mayor and its special bodies.

Only councilors Osmeña, SisinioAndales, Alvin Dizon, Nida Cabrera, and Eugenio Gabuya were present during the budget hearing.

Questioned items include the programs and activities of the city government next year charged under the city-sponsored activities totaling P59 million, which is higher than P42 million for this year.

Osmeña also questioned the charging of P35 million for the Sinulog 2016 when the city only charged P25 million for this year.

Further, she questioned the increase proposed budget for Charter Day activities from P3 million to P5 million, Independence Day activities from zero to P3 million, Don Sergio Osmeña Day and other activities from zero to P1.8 million and the 5th Meeting of Global Network of Magellan Cities from zero to P1 million, among others.

City Budget Officer Marrieta Gumia said the Office of the Mayor proposed the budget which and these proposals came from the concerned offices.

Osmeña asked the concerned offices to submit the breakdown of all the expenses under the activities. She also questioned why the executive department failed to charge any amount for the Christmas activities for next year when it has P3 million for this year.

“Christmas always happens. It’s very strange that Christmas is zeroed,” she said.

Andales said he could surmise why the executive department proposed more budget for the activities before the elections in May 2016.

He said the executive proposed for bigger budgets for Charter Anniversary Activities, Don Sergio Osmeña Day, and even Independence Day.

“Is there something so special next year?” Osmeña asked.

City Administrator Lucelle Mercado said the executive department will be pushing for a supplemental budget next year for the Christmas activities.

Osmeña also reminded the executive department that any items charged under the city sponsored activities account should have the prior approval of the City Council.

Osmeña, Andales, and Gabuya also questioned the charging of budget for hiring job orders next year.

Osmeña said she totaled the proposed budget for the job orders and reached P66 million from different programs and projects under the Office of the Mayor.

Gabuya said the city government still continued hiring job orders even after the City Council issued a resolution to hire casual employees as opposed to job orders.

Offices with proposed budgets for the hiring of job orders include the Senior Citizen Affair’s Office from P755,000 this year to P10 million, the Coastline Management Board from zero to P1.1 million, the Cebu City Environmental Sanitation Enforcement Team from zero to P2.7 million, the Cebu City Zoofrom zero to P4.2 million and the River Management Program from P42,240 to P2.7 million, among others.

The executive department said these proposals are not merely for the hiring of job orders, but also for the trainings and other expenses.

Members of the City Council also questioned the proposed P10 million under the anti-drug campaign for next year, compared to this year’s P3 million.

Cebu City Office on Substance Abuse Prevention head Dr. Alice Utlang answered that the city is eyeing to intensify its campaign against illegal drugs especially as the number of employees in the barangay and City Hall who tested positive has increased.

She said her office has already tested 984 barangay employees and found 31 of them positive, while 1,609 City Hall employees were tested and found 52 of them positive.

Last year, COSAP tested 4,689 barangay employees and 191 were found positive. For City Hall employee 1,029 were tested but only 19 were found positive.

She said the city should intensify its campaign to stop the use of illegal drugs.

Of the P10 million Utlang said P1 million will be used for the city’s We Care program, P3 million for the recovery coach, P2 million for the crisis center building, P1 million for the drug awareness, P380,000 for the know your barangay program, P620,000 anti-drugs campaign through its radio program, and P2 million for other activities.

The City Council will continue its marathon budget hearing next week.—Jean Marvette A. Demecillo/BRP (FREEMAN)