SOME 23 department heads in Bacolod City defended their budget proposal during the public hearing on the proposed P2.52-billion annual budget for 2019 at the Municipal Council Thursday, November 15.
Councilor Caesar Distrito, chairperson of the City Council committee on appropriation and finance, said there were no more objections on the proposed budget of the offices and departments.
Offices that appeared in the hearing Thursday were the General Services with the proposed budget of P53.9 million; the City Library, P4.5 million; Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO), P12.4 million; Register of Deeds, P687,000; Public Affairs and Assistance Division (PAAD); City Prosecutors Office, P1.32 million; MTC, P581,000; City Treasurer’s Office; RTC, P1.29 million; Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), P4.4 million; Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), P1.2 million; Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO), P67 million; City Budget Office, P11.99 million;Human Resource Management Services, P7.62 million; City Assessor, P180 million; City Legal Office, P25.2 million; the Civil Registrar, P12.44 million; City Planning and Development Office, P18.59 million; City Administrator’s Office, P6.38 million; City Accountants Office, P15.8 million; Management and Audit Services Office, P5.7 million; City Treasurer Landtax Division, P15.5 million; City Treasurer License Division, P24.1 million; City Treasurer Cash Division, P15.3 million; and City Treasurer Admin Division, P12.3 million.
Distrito said there are offices who requested for additional allocation such as the BCPO and BTAO.
He said the BCPO requested an increase in their telephone and internet expenses in preparation for the computerized issuance of police clearance while the BTAO requested funds for the purchase of tow trucks.
The funding of several employee positions was also requested to the Local Finance Committee such as to fund the position of Planning Officer II under the City Planning and Development Office as well as the creation and allocation of funds for the position of Assistant City Administrator and a DRRM officer which is required for the Seal of Good Local Governance.
Also tackled during the hearing was the proposed budget presented by the Office of the Mayor which include several cultural events that will be held in 2019 such as the Bacolaodiat Festival with a proposed budget of P5 million; Bacolod-Korean Festival, P200,000; Bacolod-Japan Festival, P500,000.
Also part of the proposal was the Chicken Inasal Festival with a proposed budget of P2 million; Diwali Festival, P500, 000; and the MassKara Festival, P4 million with an additional P6.5 million for the participants of the barangay, school, and electric MassKara categories.
The councilor added that funds were also allocated for the Public Wifi Project with a proposed budget of P2 million; Sports Program of the City, P5 million that includes budget for the Batang Pinoy amounting of P500,000; Philippine National Games, P300, 000; and BJMP sports fest, P200,000 and the miscellaneous fees for [ublic schools, P5 million.
The next budget hearing will be on November 19 and 20.