WITH Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno’s allies comprising the majority bloc, the City Council on Monday, December 16, approved the proposed P7.5-billion 2020 budget without a hitch.
The legislative branch approved the budget as is, during its last session this year.
Opposition councilors Jocelyn Rodriguez and Lordan Suan abstained from voting.
City Councilor Edna Dahino, chairperson of the committee on finance and appropriations, said the amount is reasonable after the executive department justified the proposed annual budget within a span of less than a month.
“Wala nakuhaan. Tanan question na answer man sa executive, na-convince gyud ang body. They were able to pass the program of works that we asked, so nakita namo nga plastar,” Dahino said.
(There is no budget cut. All questions were answered by the executive, we really convinced the body. They were able to pass the program of works that we asked, so we saw the process.)
Dahino said almost all of the items in the budget did not increase, however, some areas, such as funds for infrastructure and benefits of the employees were bigger in 2020.
“Sa employees, gisiguro nga naay funds daan kung mag-terminal leave na sila kay dili nato gusto nga dugay na sila nawala sa city hall pero wala pa gihapon nahatag ang benefits,” she said.
(We made sure there is enough funds especially for those employees who will have terminal leaves. We do not want any delay in giving them compensation after they have long resigned from city hall.)
Also, Dahino said one of the biggest portions of the budget goes to the infrastructure, such as the construction of a mental health institution and a one stop-shop crisis center for abused women or children.
“Ang Moreno administration nagtan-aw nga kinahanglan ma-pondohan ug mahimo na ang plano next year. I hope nga next year, they will also start building my advocacy, a God-centered Gender and Development Crisis Center. Expected na next year ma-implement and so many more structures,” the councilor added.
(The Moreno administration sees the need for the plans to be funded and implemented next year. I hope next year, they will also start building my advocacy, a God-centered Gender and Development Crisis Center. It is expected to be implemented next year and so many more structures.)
Dahino assured that the city council will work to ensure that the proposed projects are implemented next year. She said the council and the public expects a better delivery of services next year.
“Double time nga mag check mi sa mga projects next year. We will ask questions for sure,” she said.
Half of the proposed budget will go to economic services with an allocation of P3.2 billion, or 43 percent of the total budget. Of this amount, P1.8 million is intended to fund infrastructure projects, P50 million for land acquisition, P850 million for the metropolization development of the city and P100 million for the maintenance and operation of the sanitary landfill. Over P69 million will go to agricultural services and P2.4 billion for social services.
The 2020 budget also has a new item, the P500 million financial assistance to Cagayan de Oro City Water District.