Davide braces for Capitol payables; meets officials

Cebu  Governor-elect Hilario Davide III  said  he was bracing for his first big Capitol administrative challenge – how to deal with almost P200 million in payables.

This was the top concern told to him yesterday when he was introduced to Capitol department heads in their regular  Monday meeting.

He asked acting provincial treasurer Emmanuel   Guial  to prepare a detailed report.

“I promised the Cebuanos that when I start taking office, I would have this (report) published so that everyone will see what is the financial state of our province,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Board in its session  approved a resolution commending the Commission on Elections in Cebu for a  “successful local elections” after noting that there were no reports of casualties or cases that would lead to election failure.

Three days after his  proclamation,  Davide III stepped into the Capitol for a preliminary orientation before his term officially starts on July 1.

After Monday’s flag-raising ceremony, Acting Gov. Agnes Magpale  presided in the start-of-the-week department heads meeting.

She invited  Davide to meet some of the  officials who talked about their concerns.

“There are a lot of policies involved,” said Magpale who said the early introduction would  help “so that he can think about  it for a month. I asked each head to make a report and I also shared with Davide  the situations I faced as acting governor for a few months,” said Magpale who assumed last Dec. 18, 2012.

“I will be able to pass all the problems to the new governor,” Magpale said.

Davide is scheduled to  rest for a few days  from the grueling campaign and then go around the towns and cities thanking supporters before officially  tackling his new role.

The biggest concern  remains an estimated  P200 million in unpaid obligations  which surfaced when Magpale took over as acting governor and was presented with bills   in December last year.

While she agreed before to pay some critical accounts on a staggered basis, she said the bulk of the payables would have to be left for the decision of whoever  is elected governor.

The bills include payables for food catering, contractors, janitorial and medical staff services, and  P68 million for new Suroy Suroy buses.

She said they already finished discussions with seven department heads but will schedule a “one-on-one” meeting with Provincial Planning and Development Officer, Engr. Adolfo Quiroga  who has signified his  plan to retire and acting Provincial Treasurer Emmanuel Guial.

Davide, in an interview after the meeting, said the top concern waiting for him is  the Capitol’s payables.

He said he also asked  department heads for their  cooperation because his administration has a “mandate to fulfill  for Cebuanos.” Davide said he will visit the cities and towns around Cebu to meet his constituents.

He and other officials will assume their new  posts on July 1.

The governor-elect said the Capitol’s payables was the biggest concern presented by the provincial planning office.

“The bulk water project in Carmen town, the Filinvest project in Apas, barangay Lahug,  and some other departments. Principally, the payables of the provincial government, that was among the concerns that came out,” he said.

Magpale said the Capitol already accumulated around P300 million in budget sources but this will be spent on the payment of priority  basic services.

She said the province cannot afford to pay all of the pending payables together, some of which date back to  2008.

“There are even past projects with payables that have no authority from the Provincial Board,” she said.

Magpale said Davide would also have to  ask help from the national government to pay some of the obligations . Correspondent Peter L. Romanillos