Rama cuts down Cebu City’s budget to P7 billion; Capitol sets P3.6 billion

FROM P13 billion, the mayor’s office scaled down Cebu City’s budget next year to P7.2 billion to meet yesterday’s deadline for budget submission to the Cebu City Council.

Asst. Budget Officer Marietta Gumia said a P560 million subsidy from the general fund was  added to the P6.7 billion for the final amount.

The budget was submitted to the council’s budget committee.

“The amount represents the total (funding) requirements of the city,” Gumia said.

The P13 billion figure was based on the five-day People’s Budget Consultation series last Sept. 11 to 15.

Of the P7 billion, the largest appropriation was given to personnel services and  operations of  various City Hall departments while the smallest was debt servicing at P610 million.

Mayor Michael Rama, who was scheduled to leave for Rome for the Blessed Pedro Calungsod’s canonization, finalized the budget  with offices of the City Treasurer and Budget Officer late yesterday afternoon.

Based on the Local Government Code, local government units (LGUs) have until Oct. 16 to submit their annual budget proposals to their  councils or boards for deliberation and approval.

In Cebu province, Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia submitted a P3.673 billion budget for the province next year, which is slightly higher than the current P3.658 billion.

The bulk of funds will go to the governor’s office at P710.47 million and the Capitol’s Fund for Development Projects at P520 million.

The Provincial Board will receive a P181.291 million budget, up from P172.485 million this year.

Next year’s budget for the governor office  is lower than the P835.987 million this year.

The budget of the vice governor went up slightly to P62.91 million or P1 million more than this year’s budget.

Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale, who earlier expressed fears that her office’s budget would be reduced substantially, is running for vice governor under  the Bakud-Liberal Party (Bakud-LP) ticket.

Also included in the budget are P75.878 million for the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC)  and P12.086 million for projects of each PB member.

The province’s 18 district hospitals will run on a P429.567 million budget for 2013.

In her budget message, Governor Garcia said the province showed its relative independence from the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) share given by the government which accounts for 49 percent of Cebu’s required funding sources. Correspondents Carmel Loise Matus and Tweeny M. Malinao