- Advertisement -

By SHIELA MAE BUTLIG
and NITZ ARANCON
Correspondents .

THE Padayon Pilipino-dominated provincial board on Monday approved an increase of some P200 million in the Emano administration’s budget for next year but slashed some 42 percent from the Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s proposed budget.

- Advertisement -

The Emano administration’s budget was increased from P3.4 billion this year to P3.6 billion next year.

Misamis Oriental Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano’s P3.6-billion budget for the capitol includes a general fund of P2,879,587,803.28, and P704,217,927 as special account or a total of P3,583, 805,730.28.

Officials said the P3.6-billion budget would be spent to improve the province’s eco-tourism, social and health services, and infrastructure.

No one objected to the motion for the approval of the 2020 budget, according to provincial board member Gerardo Sabal III.

But Vice Gov. Jeremy Jonahmar Pelaez, a member of the opposition in the province, expressed his disappointment over the provincial board’s approved budget. He had proposed an annual budget of P162,913,907 for the province’s legislative department but only P94,398,907 was approved, a reduction of some P68.515 million.

Even compared to the provincial board’s 2019 budget of P143,085,249, what was approved for the legislative body for 2020 is a far cry.

Pelaez said the provincial board majority significantly reduced the legislative department’s maintenance and other operating expenses from P53 million this year to P7 million in 2020.

The provincial board also rid the provincial board of its P2-million budget for consultancy services and P11.850-million “subsidy to LGU” budget.

Also removed was the provincial board’sbudget for special purpose appropriation of P20.2 million. 

The “subsidy to LGUs” is the budget used by the Office of the Vice Governor or the provincial board to extend aid to people from various areas in the province while the “special purpose appropriations” are funds meant for community mobilization, boundary conflict settlement, information gathering, and settlement program, codification, research, and policy development.

Pelaez said he was glad that the annual budget of the Emano administration was approved but he was disappointed that the provincial board’s 2020 budget was significantly reduced.

“Inutil na ang atong opisina tungod kay di naman ta makahatag og naay mangayo sa ato sa kada munisipyo,” he said. ”Nawala na niini ang atong mga donations to LGUs [local governments] ug uban pang mga panginahanglan.” 

What was approved for the provincial board, according to Pelaez, is only enough to cover salaries and benefits of officials and employees under the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and about P7 million for office supplies.

Of the P94.3-million budget for the provincial board, P87 million would be spent for salaries of all those working under the provincial legislative body.

Provincial board member Frederick Khu said Pelaez’s proposed 2020 budget for the province’s legislature was “too much.”

“Insakto ra,” said Khu of the provincial board’s approved budget of P94.398.

Khu cited as an example the proposed budget intended to aid municipalities. Provincial board members, he said, were unaware of municipalities that benefited from this fund even during the years when the vice governor was Pelaez’s brother Jose Mari.

“Sila ra may makabenepisyo ana,” Khu said.

Khu said if the approved 2020 budget for the provincial board turns out to be insufficient, then its members would consider increasing it in 2021.

His advice to Pelaez: ”Testingi sa ni balor usa ka tuig.”

Other provincial board budget slashes:

• overtime pay from P1.5 million to P500 thousand

• travel expenses from P2.2 million to P400 thousand

• training and seminar expenses from P2 million to P400 thousand

• office supplies from P1.9 million to P800 thousand

• fuel/oil/lubricants from P4.5 million to P1.5 million

• postage and deliveries from P250 thousand to P200 thousand

• mobile phones from P720 thousand to P700 thousand

• cable TV from P25 thousand to P20 thousand

• general services from P5.4 million to P1 million

• office equipment from P200 thousand to P150 thousand

• IT equipment maintenance from P140 thousand to P50 thousand

• motor vehicle from P850 thousand to P200 thousand

• taxes, duties, licenses from P50 thousand to P40 thousand

• group insurance from P63,200 to none

• insurance expense from P50 thousand P40 thousand

• advertising from P1.5 million to P200 thousand

• membership, dues, contributions from P475 thousand to P200 thousand

• subscription expense P150 thousand to none

• donations from P8.850 million to none

• SP committee expenses P1.5 million to P200 thousand

• other maintenance and operating expenses P8.5 million to P500 thousand

• community mobilization program from P7.2 million to none

• boundary conflict settlement program from P3.3 million to none

• information gathering and dissemination from P5 million to none

• codification program from P500 thousand to none

• research and policy development program from P4.2 million to none.

Disclaimer

Mindanao Gold Star Daily holds the copyrights of all articles and photos in perpetuity. Any unauthorized reproduction in any platform, electronic and hardcopy, shall be liable for copyright infringement under the Intellectual Property Rights Law of the Philippines.

- Advertisement -