Talisay City Council Slashes P65M Supplemental Budget to P25M

The Talisay City Council slashed the proposed supplemental budget (SB) of Mayor Johnny V. de los Reyes from P65 million to P25 million.

The decision to cut the additional budget proposed by the mayor was made after the City Council, in its regular session Tuesday, found out that a significant part of the budget proposal was intended for the honorarium of 1,400 job-order workers, including workers who were not yet paid their salaries in the previous quarter.

The last time the council slashed de los Reyes’ proposed supplemental budget was in April, when it cut the proposed SB from PHP59.4 million to PHP33.2 million.

Talisay City Councilor Edward Alesna, who chairs the committee on budget and finance, said that during the hearing on the proposed SB 2, City Budget Officer Edgar Mabunay told the council that of the proposed PHP65-million budget, PHP25 million of this will be used to pay for salaries of 700 job-order workers who did not receive their salaries last month.

The amount will also be spent to hire 700 job-order workers who are set to work at City Hall this month.

The PHP25 million was included in the maintenance and operating expenses and different aid to city government offices.

From PHP25 million, the amount was reduced to PHP10 million.

The council also slashed the budget for infrastructure projects. Instead of PHP15 million, it was trimmed down to PHP200,000 after the executive department failed to provide the programs of work and estimates to support the budget proposal.

The PHP9.8 million for confidential expenses was also reduced to PHP100,000. (PNA) LAP/EB/EDS