Cebu City Council’s Budget and Finance Committee Trims Proposed 2017 Budget by PHP1.7B

The Cebu City Council’s budget and finance committee has trimmed the executive department’s proposed annual budget next year by PHP1.7 billion, from the original PHP7.6 billion to PHP5.9 billion.

In the proposed budget ordinance the committee submitted to the council, about PHP4.3 billion is allocated for maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE), PHP1.3 billion for personal services and some PHP185 million for capital outlay.

The committee also reduced some of the proposed allocations under the general fund proper the executive department had included in their proposal to only P1.

These include the proposed PHP39-million allocation for the scholarship program in previous years, PHP33 million to buy part of a lot and pay for a structure owned by the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), PHP30 million for the Roque Ting property and another PHP30 million for miscellaneous expenses for the garnishment of the Ting property.

The allocations removed from the executive’s budget proposal also included PHP22 million for the food expenses of city jail inmates and PHP15 million to build a fence in Osmeña Shrine to keep illegal settlers out.

The court recently ordered the city to pay PHP57 million to Ting, whose lot became part of the South Road Properties (SRP).

The Regional Trial Court’s (RTC) Branch 21 in Cebu City issued in October a notice of garnishment that asked the Land Bank of the Philippines to hold on to PHP57,119,287.50 of the city’s funds.

Cebu City Mayor Osmeña also included an allocation to compensate the INC for its fence, which will be demolished to pave the way for a road widening project.

Cebu City Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera, who chairs the committee on budget and finance, said they did not slash the mayor’s budget proposal but included only the items they consider to be the city’s priorities as the treasurer said the most that they can collect is only 80 percent of the budget. (PNA)LAP/EB/EDS