CAGAYAN de Oro City now has an approved 2023 annual budget.

This is after the city council has already approved the P7.8 billion annual budget that was proposed by Mayor Rolando “Klarex” Uy on October 13, during its special session in one of the hotels here.

City Councilor Yan Lam S. Lim, the chairperson of the Committee of Finance, who presided over the budget hearing, said that the budget consisted General Fund and Special Account/Operation of the city’s economic enterprises in the amount of P6.823 billion and P977 million, respectively.

The general fund usually would be utilized for personal services, maintenance, and other operating expenses, capital outlay, and as Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (LDRRM) fund.

Meanwhile, the special accounts would be used for the operation of the city’s hospitals, markets, and slaughterhouses.

It also approved the proposed budgets of the CDO Trade and Investment Promotion Center; City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office; Human Resource and Management Services Offices; Office of the City Administrator; City Planning and Development Office; Office of the Building Official; City Civil Registry Office and City General Services Department, among other departments.

“Let us give a chance to the new mayor (Rolando Uy) to have an aggressive budget. A bigger budget is good for the city to attract investors,” said Lim.

Lim added that overall, this would benefit the Cagayanons in general.

Lim, for his part, has expressed his gratitude to his colleagues who approved the proposed annual budget, sitting as a Committee of the Whole.

With this, Lim said that the people of Cagayan De Oro could now expect the implementation of several projects and programs under Mayor Uy.

Meanwhile, during the budget hearing, City Budget Officer Atty. Percy Salazar presented the highlights of the proposed budget for 2023 with the corresponding city’s implementation-ready programs.

She said with the expected approval of the budget, the city can attain and sustain goals and targets with the guiding principles anchored on the RISE development agenda of the present administration.

RISE stands for Regional Leadership: Metropolization, Accessibility, and Connectivity (P1.657B); Institutional Development and Participatory Governance (P1.297B); Safety, Security and Human Development (P3.160B); and Economic Recovery (P1.686B).

Like Lim, Councilor Ian Mark Q. Nacaya said that the proposed executive budget is aggressive.

“I understand that the Local Finance Committee (LFC) has the perspective in mind with the leadership of Mayor Uy that we should all be aggressive in setting our direction for the city,” he stressed.

With this, Nacaya commended the LFC, saying that the basis of its recommendation is the budget hearings conducted with the different department heads.

“I am very satisfied and I would like to join the executive to be as aggressive as possible,” he said.

It may be recalled that the 20th City Council headed by City Vice Mayor Jocelyn B. Rodriguez constituted the Committee of the Whole to deliberate on the 2023 executive budget.