CITY Councilor Jocelyn Rodriguez on Monday, March 30, questioned the additional P650 million supplemental budget proposed by City Mayor Oscar Moreno to support Cagayan de Oro City’s fight against Covid-19.
Rodriguez questioned Moreno’s move asking for more funds, when the city has P300 million worth of calamity funds, another P53 million for Emergency Welfare and Crisis Intervention Fund, and intelligence fund worth P116 million.
“Halos nakahatag na kita sa mayor og hapit duolan sa kantidad nga P1 billion, nahurot na kini?” Rodriguez said in a statement posted in her Facebook page.
(We had given the mayor almost P1 billion, has it been depleted?)
“Sa dili pa unta nato dugangan og P658 million, mangutana sa ko kun aha na ang hapit mag-usa ka bilyon nga pondo nga atong gihatag sa mayor pagtubag ning krisis karon? Nahurot na ba?” she added.
(Before we give the additional P658 million, I would like to ask where the almost a billion fund went?)
However, City Budget Officer Percy Salazar clarified that they only spent P28 million of the quick response fund which was used to purchase alcohol, masks, and other necessities for the city’s frontliners in the fight against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Salazar said the P28 million was also used for disinfection, food assistance and acquire equipment and supplies for Covid-19-related response.
He added the City Government has a total of P300 million calamity fund, wherein P90 million of it is the quick response fund.
The calamity fund is the five percent of the estimated revenue from regular sources which was set aside to support disaster risk management activities such as, but not limited to, the pre-disaster preparedness programs including training, purchase of disaster response and rescue equipment, supplies, and medicines, for post-disaster activities, and payment of premiums on calamity insurance.
The 30 percent of the calamity fund is for the quick response fund.
“Pwede na kita mogamit sa entire P300 million na calamity fund but we have to see to it nga masulod kini sa atong annual investment program ug mao kini pud ang atong gibuhat nga naghimo kita og supplemental budget but before making the supplemental budget for Covid-19, ato pong gisulod na kini sa atong Annual Investment Program No. 1 aron masulod ang atong proseso,” Salazar said.
(We can use the entire P300 million calamity fund but we have to see to it that it will be included in the annual investment program and this is what we did, that we made a supplemental budget but before making that, it should be enclosed in annual investment program no. 1 so it can be processed.)
Salazar also emphasized that the calamity fund is also used for emergency welfare crisis intervention, which is providing assistance to victims of fire, floods, and other calamities. It is also used for emergency shelter assistance, emergency relief assistance and assistance to individuals in crisis situation.
“Ako lang gusto ipahibalo nga ato man kining ginabahinbahin ang paggasto dili lamang sa Covid kun dili kun dunay mga kalamidad like kadaghanan dunay mga sunog, mao kana ang atong gakuhaan kaning emergency welfare crisis intervention,” Salazar said.
(I just want to tell that we distributed it to expenditures not only for Covid but also for calamities like fires, this is where we get funds, from emergency welfare crisis intervention.)
“Dili nato kini gigasto sa kausa nga higayon kundili ato kining gabahinbahinon sa tibook nga tuig,” she added.
(We don’t spend at one time but we distributed it evenly for the whole year.)