Cebu City Council approves P587.8M supplemental budget 1

Local

THE Cebu City Council has approved Supplemental Budget 1 (SB1) amounting to P587,796,271.60 on Wednesday, March 26, following a revision that reduced its initial proposal of P635 million.

The approved budget reflects significant adjustments, including cuts in road asphalting and livelihood program allocations to accommodate an increase in bonuses for City Hall employees.

The revised budget slashed the road asphalting allocation from P140 million to P100 million, while the livelihood program’s budget was reduced from P100 million to P80 million.

However, in the approved budget, the Committee on Budget and Finance decided to remove the P88-million allocation for the livelihood program.

Councilor Noel Wenceslao, chairman of the committee, justified the removal by citing the executive department’s failure to provide a clear plan for its implementation.

“The Committee on Budget and Finance observed a lack of interest from the Office of the Mayor as the implementing office of the livelihood program, amounting to P88 million. The office failed to present a justified explanation and a clear direction for the program. In conclusion, since there was no clear direction, the allocation was removed,” Wenceslao said.

During a budget hearing on March 17, the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP), which was expected to play a role in the program, failed to clarify its involvement in distributing financial assistance.

Wenceslao warned that Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia could still veto the revised budget despite its council approval. The budget, initially pegged at P100 million for the livelihood program, had already been trimmed to P88 million before it was ultimately scrapped.

Meanwhile, the Council approved an increase in the Service Excellence Incentive for City Hall employees, raising their Charter Day bonus from P25,000 to P35,000, requiring an additional P52 million under SB1.

However, questions regarding the funding source delayed the approval process. Wenceslao pointed out that the financial capacity of special accounts, including those under DWUP and city hospitals, was insufficient to sustain the additional P10,000 per employee.

Garcia previously defended the livelihood program, arguing that it had been beneficial to its recipients.

On March 18, he stated that orientations and payouts were already ongoing and expressed hopes for the program’s expansion.

The budget debates also surfaced political tensions, with Councilor Nestor Archival alleging that funds initially allocated for parks and playgrounds were diverted to the livelihood program, calling it “technical malversation.”

He further accused Garcia of using the program for political gain ahead of the May elections.

Garcia denied the allegations.(TGP)