Davide submits P2.6B budget for 2014

THE Cebu Provincial Board will soon start scrutinizing a P2.599 billion budget for 2014 submitted by Gov. Hilario Davide III.

The amount is P1 billion lower than this year’s P3.6 billion budget approved during the tenure of Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, which Davide had called “bloated.”

The proposed budget was received before the October 16-deadline and will be part of the agenda of Monday’s regular session, said Provincial Secretary Anecita Pasaylo.

It will be referred to the committee on budget as part of procedure.

PB Member Grecilda Sanchez-Zaballero, who heads the budget committee, said that offhand the total amount was “too small” considering the need for infrastructure repairs in the province after the Oct. 15 earthquake

She also expressed concern on the fate of the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) in Mandaue City.

“The Capitol spent millions of pesos for that, and we may not be able to maintain it because the budget is not enough. It may come to a point that the CICC is so neglected it would end up being demolished because it’s not generating income,” she said.

She said PB members have yet to receive a hard copy of the budget because of work interruptions during and after last Tuesday’s earthquake.

PB members are holding office at a warehouse near the Provincial Information Office building.

Of the total P2.599 billion proposed budget, P407 million is the local development fund which will be spent based on the priorities of the Annual Investment Plan approved last week by the provincial development council.