P2.6B Mandaue budget pushed

CEBU, Philippines - The Mandaue City Council approved on first reading during its regular session Wednesday the city’s 2016 budget worth P2.6 billion.

The amount was P200 million higher compared to the one earlier proposed, approved by the council on October 23.

On October 26, three days after the first proposal was passed on first reading, acting budget officer lawyer Ernesto Maringuran submitted a letter to the council to increase the previous budget from P2.4 billion to P2.6 billion.

Based on the proposed budget ordinance, the biggest allocation is for Maintenance and Other Operating Expenditures (MOOE) at P1.6 billion.

Some P106,178,000 of MOOE is for the City Public Market, P13 million for the slaughterhouse, P20.4 million for the Mandaue City Hospital (MCH) and P4.3 million for the Mandaue City Sports Complex (MCSC).

The city allocated P665,461,4470 under capital outlay, in which P124 million is for the Development Fund, P1.9 million for MCSC, P850,000 for the public market, P150,000 for the slaughterhouse and P550,000 for MCH.

The item Personal Services, meanwhile, is allocated P378,061,782 for the entire year.

Out of the Personal Services fund, the mayor’s office is to get P21.9 million, Housing and Urban Development Office (P3.2 million), the treasurer’s office (P27 million) and the City Council (P41.9 million).

The city has also allocated P90.5 million for wages of non-office personnel, P29.6 million for the city engineer’s office, P1.1 million for those working under the city public library, among others.

In MOOE, the Non-Office item is getting the biggest share at P929 million. General Services Department comes second at P250 million.

The office of mayor has been allocated P53 million from this pie and the city engineer’s office is earmarked P102 million. — Liv G. Campo (FREEMAN)