Wednesday, July 05, 2006
P374M budget okayed; P57M for peace
By Barbara Carla R. Quiero
DAVAO CITY -- The City Council approved on second reading Tuesday the P374 million supplemental budget 1 ensuring the release of the fund right after the formalities of a third reading.
Getting a huge share of the budget is the City Engineer's Office with P68.555 million, P68.440 million of which is for repair and maintenance of roads and bridges. This is aside from the P13.594 million for infrastructure projects.
The city's peace and order program came next with P57.778 million for general administration.
Funded with P56.52 million is the additional P1,000 each in allowances for city workers from January to August 2006.
Maintenance and other operating expenses for the various committees, boards, and councils of the city got a total of P32,611 million. For garbage collection, a total of P30 million was allotted.
Councilor Bonifacio E. Militar, during the regular council session, said the supplemental budget is intended to augment the City Government's general fund, development fund, and economic enterprises particularly the operation of markets and slaughterhouses.
The original budget proposal amounted to P363,618,914.89 but it was amended to P374,935,314.89 after a committee hearing by the finance committee.
Among the amendments made is the inclusion of the appropriation for Urban Land Reform Program for 2006 in the amount of P10,016,400 for the acquisition of a 6.6-hectare land in Bago Oshiro, Tugbok District for the resettlement of the Small Communal Farmer's Association.
City Administrator Wendel E. Avisado said the addendum was ordered by Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte and that it has been overdue and is supposed to be included in the last year's budget.
Lolita Ferolino, president of the Small Communal Farmer's Association, said they are grateful for the help extended to them by the City Government.
Ferolino said about 200 families are currently living at the area since 1998, however, it is only now that they can have the lots under their names.
"We are currently conducting a survey now in order for us to appropriate the 6.6-hectare land equally to its beneficiaries," Ferolino said.
Another amendment was made after Councilor Jesus Zozobrado requested the committee to realign P1,300,000 from the annual fund for the installation of main line water pipes in Tugbok and Toril, rip-rapping of a canal in Toril, and road concreting in Tugbok and Calinan.
The P1,300,000 is supposed to fund Zozobrado's "Comprehensive Medical and Dental Program," a maternal and child medical assistance program for Baguio, Marilog, Tugbok, and Calinan districts.
With the amendments made, the general fund was increased from P346,476,914.56 to P356,493,314.56 while the development fund was decreased from P28,753,298.97 to P13,442,000.33.
Avisado said supplemental budget 1 is sourced from the P44,080,614.50 2005 surplus, P5,387,500 balance from the slashed annual budget of the Traffic Management Center, P708,800 reverted fund and estimated revenue out of the amended revenue tax code that is P296,300.
According to Avisado, the whole budget is properly and evenly distributed to help implement the city's projects.
Avisado said a total of P57,778,000 will be appropriated for the peace and order program of Duterte, P1.8-million for barangays Angliongto and Hizon, being newly recognized barangays, and P15 million for the city's crisis intervention program. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
(July 5, 2006 issue)
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