By LITO RULONA Correspondent FIREWORKS are expected in the city council today as allies of Mayor Oscar Moreno push for the approval of the proposed P5-billion budget for 2017. Vice Mayor Reineir Joaquin Uy said the city council would tackle Moreno’s proposed annual budget this afternoon in compliance to Section 318 of RA 7160. Moreno is proposing a general fund of P4.621 billion, and another P378.157 billion for city hall’s special account/economic enterprise operations. Based on Moreno’s proposal, general public services gets P1.608 billion and P1.288 billion for social services. He proposed P645.145 million for health, nutrition and hospital services, P643.427 million for social security, social services and welfare, P1.715 billion for economic services, P378.157 million for city hall’s special account-economic enterprise, and P8.88 million for “other purposes.” His critics however greeted the proposed 2017 budget with raised brows, saying they doubt if city hall could generate enough revenues to avoid a deficit next year. Moreno called his proposal “unprecedented,” and that it “best describes the challenges and conflicts we have weathered during the first term of this administration.” He added: “The political blocks were so huge, such that almost of all our proposed budgets were either cut to lowest possible amount or we are acted late, or were never approved at all.” Moreno however said “the tides have changed” and that the “resounding mandate of the people in the May 2016 polls [was] a reaffirmation of the solid platform-based accomplishment during his first term despite the challenges that his administration confronted with.” “It has been estimated that the total resources for the budget will reach P5 billion for General Fund and Special Account-Economic Enterprise, of which tax revenue under local sources contributes P1,686,983,126.00 or 34% of the total budget. Other local sources come from: beginning balance of P640,000,000.00, realignment  of continuing appropriation (20% development fund) P50,000,000.00 and receipts from loans and borrowings P500,000,000.00,” reads part of his budget message. Moreno said the proposed budget would be used for city hall’s Revised Comprehensive Development Plan for 2017-2019, and the thrusts would be on poverty alleviation, peace and order, revenue generation, settlement investment, infrastructure, metropolisation, environment, education, health and hospital services, agricultural productivity, traffic, tourism and teamwork.