Budget for ‘urgent and necessary expenses’: Swift passage of P384 million SB-2 sought

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia yesterday expressed hope that the City Council would pass the soonest the P384-million Supplemental Budget (SB)-2, which is for “urgent and necessary expenses.”

“I hope it will be passed as soon as possible time, kay mao man gyud nay immediate needs sa City Government. I hope they can be able to discuss it right away, have the budget hearing, so that they can pass it,” he told reporters yesterday.

The City Council tacked SB-2 during its regular session yesterday and referred the proposed measure to the Committee and Budget and Finance for its recommendations.

The biggest portion of SB-2 is the P145.521 million for the Department of Public Services (DPS) for “general administration, street cleaning, garbage collection and disposal services, street lighting, and an artesian well system”.

The executive department identified as fund sources the savings from April to June 2024 and realigned budgets and surplus adjustments, as certified by City Treasurer Mare Vae Reyes and City Accounting Office Officer-in-charge Giovanni Delgado.

The proposed SB-2 came five months after the City Council approved SB-1, which contained the appropriation for the bonuses of City Hall’s casual employees, P205.973 million for the Palarong Pambansa, as well as funds for the city’s transitional housing project. —/RHM (FREEMAN)