SEVERAL activities approved by the Cebu City Government sourced their funds from the City Sponsored and other Activities Account.
However, City Councilor Eugenio Gabuya Jr. noticed that there are no existing guidelines on what specific activities can be charged to the account.
This issue prompted Gabuya to come up with “an Ordinance Establishing Guidelines on the Management and Utilization of City Sponsored and other Activities Account of Cebu City Government.” This aims to ensure that the funds will be spent “only for the qualified activities.”
Gabuya filed the measure on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020.
The draft ordinance was referred to the committee on laws for review.
The draft ordinance states that the City Sponsored and other Activities Account shall “only be utilized for the necessary and essential activities to meet the unforeseen needs and service requirements of the City of Cebu for the promotion of the general welfare of the city and its inhabitants, but have no allocation in the current fiscal year.”
Gabuya said the purpose of his measure is to safeguard the funds under the said account and to ensure that it is managed and utilized well.
Qualified activities
Qualified projects to be charged to the account, as enumerated in the proposed ordinance, are only those pertaining to the promotion of the City’s culture and heritage, reception of visiting dignitaries of foreign governments or foreign missions and protection of the environment and other activities related to this.
Under Section 5 of the draft ordinance, all the activities to be charged to the account should be included in a detailed project proposal, which is approved by the board or commission and the concerned committee.
Activities should also be jointly approved by the mayor and the majority of the council. If the activity is organized by the City and other entity, it must be secured by a memorandum of agreement.
The amount in the account should not also be utilized as financial assistance, according to the draft ordinance.
This measure, according to Gabuya, is a way “to maintain honesty and integrity in public service and take positive and effective measures against graft and corruption.” (JJL)