Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez seeks the approval of the Sangguniang Panlungsod on the proposed P3.250 billion annual budget of the city for 2023. (File Photo)

Bacolod to submit lists of programs to exempt from election ban

Published on:

Jan 16, 2025, 1:31 am

The City Government of Bacolod is preparing lists of projects and programs to be exempted from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) ban during the election period.

Lawyer Marty Go, Secretary to the Mayor, announced yesterday that the city will submit these lists to Comelec before February 11, the deadline for submitting the city’s disbursements to be exempted from the ban on the release of public funds in connection with the May 2025 national and local elections.

Go explained that the Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD), the City Engineer’s Office, and the City Agriculture Office are compiling the necessary data for submission. These projects and programs may include the distribution of Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), support for farmers and fisherfolk, and various infrastructure projects, among others.

According to Comelec Resolution No. 10999, the disbursement ban on city projects and programs will begin on March 28, 2025, coinciding with the start of the local campaign period.

“Under Comelec guidelines, we are required to submit a list of disbursements that will be exempted from the ban period,” Go said.

He added that the city already has the necessary format in place and will ensure the submission is made before the February 11 deadline.