TO ENSURE the timely passage of the proposed P12 billion annual budget for 2020, the Provincial Board (PB) will conduct marathon hearings starting on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019.
The appropriation ordinance containing the proposed budget sailed smoothly through the PB in its first reading Monday afternoon, Oct. 28.
The draft measure was filed by PB Member Glenn Anthony Soco (6th district), who heads the committee on budget and appropriation.
The proposed budget of P12,000,028,000 has an increment of 156 percent, meaning it is P7.3 billion higher than the P4.7 billion budget approved in 2019.
The executive department had endorsed for deliberation the proposed annual budget for next year to the PB.
In a letter to the PB dated Oct. 16, 2019, Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia said the 2020 budget, if passed by the PB, will be divided into general public, social and economic services.
Some P6,255,097,777.74—a major chunk of the budget, or 52.13 percent—will go to social services. This will cover medical services and social welfare programs, among others.
Earlier, Garcia said the Capitol would work on upgrading provincial and district hospitals.
For social welfare, the governor said the Capitol will focus on improving its existing programs for children, women and the elderly.
The Capitol’s economic services, on the other hand, will focus on infrastructure projects. With P3.98 billion, economic services cover 33.19 percent of next year’s proposed budget.
Infrastructure projects covered by the proposed budget include concreting works for 250 kilometers of provincial roads and 100 kilometers of barangay roads, installing level 3 water systems and improving existing infrastructure of villages and component towns.
The PB members, who are mostly allied with Garcia, will hold marathon hearings before the matter is referred to the committee on budget and appropriations to see whether the budget needs further modification or to be calendared for the next regular session.
The appropriation ordinance is expected to be approved before the year ends. (RTF)