Councilors question P34.1-M training budget

THE Cebu City Council questioned the P34.1 million outlay for training and P23.3 million for travel proposed for next year by City Hall’s executive department.
“I am just wondering, before you asked for training budgets, did you conduct a training needs assessment?” Councilor Alvin Dizon asked  Belinda Navasquez,  secretary of the mayor, during yesterday’s budget hearing.
Councilor Margot Osmeña also reminded Navasquez of the 2012 Annual Audit Report (AAR) which warned the city against the “extravagant” spending of P11.7 million on trainings and seminars.
“No more,” Navasquez replied, saying they now encourage the use of the city’s training facility in the mountain barangay of Taptap for city-sponsored trainings and seminars.
She said the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) is now strict about endorsing the use of the Taptap training center.
Special committees
Almost half of  the P34.1 million training budget request, an amount of P16.1 million, will be spent by the mayor’s office and special committees under it along with P7.3 million in travel expenses.
Another P5 million for training is sought by the Human Resources Development Office (HRDO) while the rest of the appropriation were asked by  different  departments.
A P20.1 million outlay is  proposed for local travels and  P3.2 million for  foreign travel.
This year, Cebu City Hall only has a P2.45 million budget for trainings and another P50,000 for local travel. There was no  budget for foreign travel.
Free hand
“I am confused with the council,” said Mayor Rama later.
“My orientation is  human relations. If there are no trainings/seminars, that will make John a dull boy,” he said.
Rama said under his watch, he wanted allocations for trainings and seminars “decentralized” to give  departments and special committees a free hand to say what trainings they need.
“That is empowerment and decentralization,” he said.
City Hall has 64 special committees under the office of the mayor, of which 24 are active.
Most of the active special committees include a budget for training and seminars in their 2014 budget request. Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac and Correspondent Edison delos Angeles