THE Iloilo City Council has unanimously approved the P1,696,399,917 annual executive budget of the city’s general fund for 2015.

The fund covers personal services like the full appropriation for Magna Carta for health workers covering 25 percent of the basic salary and the full appropriation for mandatory optional retirees, among others.

City Councilor Eduardo Penaredondo, chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, said the 2015 budget will also cover the maintenance and other operating expenses such as 11 months appropriations for job hires and honorarium based employees instead of the previous 8 months appropriation.

Penaredondo said the other operating expenses include office supplies for the new office of Information Technology and additional expenses charged to festivities such as the Philippine Open International Taekwondo Championship and additional fund for the Dinagyang 2015, making a budget of P8 million in 2015.

Penaredondo said the City Council also approved the annual budget of the Local Economic Enterprise Office (Leeo) in the amount of P71.2 million as a separate fund from the annual executive budget.