Exec assures Angeles’s financial stability

ANGELES CITY -- An official here said Monday that the City Government is financially stable.

Vice Mayor Vicky Cabigting issued the statement following allegations of budget deficit and failure to meet mandatory and statutory obligations.

Cabigting told city workers during Monday’s regular flag-raising at the City Hall that the alleged issues on the depleted city coffers were just a “pack of lies.”

Last week, commentaries aired over a local radio station here alleged that the City Government is experiencing a budget deficit as employees and job-order salaries were not paid on time.

“The people of Angeles should know the truth behind the issues hounding the fiscal capacity of the city. I was able to talk to the city’s treasury division and I am proud to say that we are financially stable,” the vice mayor said.

City treasurer Juliet Quinsaat affirmed Cabigting’s statement, reporting that the city has more than enough funds for the last quarter of the year until Christmas.

“It is very premature to say that the city is in dire crisis when talking about its finances because we are just on the last quarter of the fiscal year,” Quinsaat said.

The city treasurer said that business and real property owners pay their taxes on a quarterly basis. The city, she said is expecting more local revenues before the year ends.

“With these, how can we say that we are on a deficit, more so, if we are also able to pay our statutory obligations on loan payments for employees like Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and Pag-Ibig,” Quinsaat said.

With regard the employees’ salaries, Quinsaat said the delay could be attributed to the failure of some offices to submit their payroll papers and daily time record report on time.

“We cannot make the necessary cash advances for payroll unless we have all the completed documents required prior to the disbursement of salaries, allowances, honoraria and other similar expenses,” she said.

Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan said he supports the needs of the city employees by instructing the city’s financial officers (treasurer, budget and accounting) to release the bonuses and other cash incentives this coming Christmas season.

“Our employees should not be bothered by these issues. Our fiscal governance seeks its best to be as stable as it can be to widely benefit not only the employees but most importantly, the Angeleños,” Pamintuan said.

Cabigting lauded and encouraged City Government employees to continue working and support the implementation of priority programs of the present administration.

“We have a very dynamic and hardworking government workforce. And if you are a government employee of Angeles City, you should be proud because we have been giving the best to the Angeleños,” the vice mayor added. (Reynaldo G. Navales)