Cebu City Council OKs P81.3-M supplemental budget

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THE Cebu City Council has approved a new P81.3-million supplemental budget to boost financial aid for senior citizens, repair rain-damaged roads, and support local livelihood programs.

Supplemental Budget No. 2 (SB2) for 2025, amounting to P81,395,000, were allocated for three key priorities: P40.845 million for the Senior Citizens’ Financial Assistance Program; P40 million for the paving and retreading of city streets; and P550,000 for the livelihood program.

Councilor Dave Tumulak, chairperson of the council’s Committee on Budget and Finance, said the additional funding addresses urgent needs identified by the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) and the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW).

“Kulangan gyud ug P40 million ang OSCA kay ni-increase sa second quarter ang number sa atong senior citizen beneficiaries,” Tumulak said in an interview Friday. “So nakulangan siya, mao ato gidugangan ug P40 million.”

Tumulak explained that the city saw a surge in registered senior citizens this year. This prompted the need to augment the budget to sustain monthly financial assistance for all qualified beneficiaries.

Another P40 million was earmarked for road asphalting and repairs, as heavy rains in recent weeks caused potholes and damage along major city roads.

“The other P40 million is in preparation for our Christmas and Sinulog activities, and also for the main roads nga nangabuslot tungod sa ulan,” he said.

The P550,000 allocation for the livelihood program will be used to assist community-based income-generating projects, particularly for low-income residents affected by recent weather disturbances.

This is the city’s second supplemental budget for the year, aimed at addressing emerging needs outside the main 2025 budget.

In 2024, the Cebu City Council also approved a P384-million second supplemental budget, which funded scholarships, garbage collection, and street paving under various departments.

Meanwhile, Tumulak said the Office of the Mayor has yet to submit its proposed 2026 annual budget, which will undergo deliberations in the coming weeks.(TGP)