Davide eyes lean 2014 budget

The Cebu province may have to make do with a smaller budget in 2014 if Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III would have his way.

“In 2013, the P3.6 billion budget was bloated so last Saturday, I told them (department heads) to make the budget reasonable and practical,” he told reporters.

A series of budget hearings attended by department heads together with heads of provincial and district hospitals was held recently.

Davide said they intend to finish and submit the proposal before the Provincial Board (PB) next week.

“That’s what I told them, let’s not bloat the budget (like) what happened in 2013,” he said.

The P3.673 billion proposed annual budget submitted by former governor Gwendolyn Garcia last year was 41 percent higher than the 2012 proposed budget of P3.658 billion.

It was reduced to P3.259 billion or P400 million lower after it faced scrutiny from PB members not affiliated with Garcia. The PB is dominated by the local Liberal Party (LP) headed by Davide.

The Budget and Appropriations Committee is chaired by PB member Grecilda Sanchez.

During the deliberation of the 2013 budget, the P710.047 million proposed allocation for the Governor’s Office was cut to P599 million.

Fund cuts

The Pasigarbo sa Sugbo budget was reduced from P15 million to P5 million while the governor’s intelligence fund was cut to P5 million from P25 million.

The budget for the E-Gwen (Expanded Green and Wholesome Environment that Nurtures) program was cut from P30 million to P15 million. Correspondent Peter L. Romanillos