THE Baguio City Council last Monday approved the 2014 annual budget of the city amounting to P1,439,582,000 and the Annual Investment Plan (AIP) to be funded by the 20 percent development fund amounting to P150,216,000.
Vice Mayor Daniel Fariñas said the approval is subject to the condition that all projects will pass through the city council for confirmation before these will be implemented.
Mayor Mauricio Domogan on Wednesday thanked the body for the swift action that came after weeks of deadlock on issues affecting departments with crucial programs.
The body during the session tackled anew the proposed financial plans of the two remaining departments – the city general services office where the funds for the city’s waste management programs are incorporated and the city administrator’s office which handles concerns on tourism, disaster management and the Asin mini-hydroelectric plants.
Also discussed was the proposed budget for the City Government’s computerization program under the city budget office.
The aldermen approved the budget of the city general services office subject to conditions that the office will submit a comprehensive waste management plan for 2014 and that all the projects will be subject to council scrutiny first before their prosecution.
General Services officer Romeo Concio earlier assured the body that the waste management projects lined up in the proposed 2014 budget will enable the city to establish a functional engineered sanitary landfill that will eliminate the need to haul out wastes to Urdaneta City by the end of the year.
Fariñas said they will take Concio's word that the approval of the needed funds will make the city self-sufficient in managing its wastes this year and the approval of the GSO’s budget will be anchored on said condition along with the requirement to have all the projects confirmed first by the body before implementation.
The waste management projects for the city’s Integrated Solid Waste Management System (ISWMS) pipelined under the AIP total P77,802,000 particularly for the purchase of lot including withholding/transfer tax and “topo” survey amounting to P25 million and initial site development costing P52,802,000.
The other waste management proposed allocations are P10 million for the construction of two materials recovery facility buildings and P8,804,000 for the post-closure rehabilitation of the Irisan dumpsite.
Concio also proposed in the budget a total of P85 million to cover the hauling and tipping fees for this year while the ISWMS is still in the works. The city hauls out 127 tons out of the 360-ton waste output of the city daily.
The body also affirmed the budget of the city administrator’s office subject to submission of the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (CDRRMC) comprehensive plan and the confirmation of the contract for the privatization of the Asin hydros.
The same condition was imposed by the body in the approval of the budget for the computerization program amounting to P7.5 million. The programs include business continuity facility amounting to P1 million; human resource system, P1.5 million; Management Information Technical Division internal projects and spare parts, P500,000; software development and procurement system, P2 million; software licenses and support, P1.2 million; and upgrade of city’s official website, P1.3 million.
The AIP of which breakdown will be finalized was also adopted by the body subject to the same conditions.
The summary of income stands with the estimated income to come from the beginning balance of P160,000,000; tax revenue amounting to P415,721,428.57; non-tax revenue – P237,865,000; and external sources – P684,567,000.
The breakdown of the expenses will be finalized by the city budget office under budget officer Leticia Clemente.
The mayor said the approved budget and AIP will be submitted to the Dept. of Budget and Management (DBM) for review and approval before it can be implemented. (Aileen Refuerzo)