City allots biggest budget for waste management

BAGUIO City Mayor Mauricio Domogan submitted to the City Council its proposed P1,278,143,000 budget for 2013, with the General Services Office on Solid Waste Management getting the biggest chunk of the annual appropriations.

The 2013 budget is higher by more than P132 million compared to the 2012 budget of some P1.146 billion.

In the 2013 budget, P505,612,000 is for personnel services; P588,017,000 for maintenance and other operating expenses; P38,300,000 for capital outlay; P55,907,000 for disaster risk reduction and management fund; and P90,307,000 for Development Fund.

Domogan said the proposed estimated budget is supported by income as certified by the Local Finance Committee, to be collected from local and external sources: composed of P160,000,000 from beginning balance; P380,150,000 from tax revenues; P230,460,000 from non-tax revenues; and P564,533,000 from external sources.

General Services Office-Solid Waste division ranked first among different departments in terms of budgetary allocation, with some P214,452,000, highlighting a continuing increase in solid waste management expenses of the city in hauling residual wastes to Capas, Tarlac.

Other department office’s allocation based on ranking from highest to lowest allocations are as follows: City Health Office (P113,729,000); City Engineer’s office (P96,038,000); City Council (P70,803,000); City Environment and Parks Management Office (P70,351,000); City Treasurer’s office (P60,900,000); General Services Office (P50,246,000); City Mayor’s office (P50,093,000); Division of City Schools (P39,813,000); Social Welfare and Development Office P38,084,000); City Administrator’s Office (P35,828,000); Buildings and Architecture Office (P33,637,000); Philippine National Police (P33,113,000); Assessor’s office (P18,297,000), Veterinary’s Office (P16,781,000); Budget office (P16,781,000); Fire Department (P13,738,000); Human Resource and Development (P13,665,000); Accounting office (P13,516,000) and Planning Office (P13,515,000).

Other departments to receive based on the proposed budget as follows: Legal office (P9,557,000); Jail management (P5,632,000 for male and P1,402 for female); City Library (P5,474,000); Civil Registry (P5,197,000); Prosecutor’s Office (P4,205,000); Regional Trial Court (P2,568,000); Commission on Audit (P2,311,000) and Municipal Trial Court (P1,652,000).

Domogan told the City Council that 2013’s development targets are in sync with national goals in reducing poverty.

Among the budget framework that has set the direction and anchor the city’s thrusts for next year include: sustainable solid and liquid waste management programs; poverty reduction and empowerment of the poor and vulnerable; climate change adaptation and mitigation with emphasis on disaster risk reduction; local revenue generation; health and wellness of the people; safe and resilient city; gender sensitized governance; accountable and responsive government structure; enhanced IT-based government systems and transactions and infrastructure that supports basic urban services.

“Our financial resources though limited has sustained our efforts in making our city still the prime tourist destination of the North, more have to be done that requires the participation of all,” the mayor said.

Acting Mayor Daniel Fariñas told City Hall employees Monday the City Council will forego their regular session on October 29 to pore over the proposed budget submitted by the Executive department.

Fariñas said councilors in succeeding weeks will scrutinize the submitted budget appropriations with each assigned member of the City Council going over the items detailed in the 2013 budget.