Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez is now eyeing a P4.4 billion annual budget for 2025.
Benitez said they already finished the budget deliberation with all the department heads in Bangkok, Thailand last week with members of the City Council.
Also present was Congressman Greg Gasataya while Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran was designated as acting mayor from August 30 to September 2.
“We finished it and our proposed budget for 2025 will be P4.4 billion because there will be more revenues for the city,” Benitez said.
He said he would submit the budget proposal to the City Council before its deadline in October, adding that the City Council will also conduct a public hearing for the approval of the budget.
The mayor noted that social services will get the largest share of the budget which includes the implementation of the Bacolod Comprehensive Health Program (BacCHO), Bayad Agad program, funeral and medical assistance, Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS as well as the city’s plan for digitalization for a smart city.
Benitez said the proposed budget is higher compared to this year’s budget, which is P3.6 billion, or posting an increase of P800 million because of the extensive focus on the city’s revenue generation.
“We already intensified our mapping for the taxes of our taxpayers and other revenue-generating activities will also come in 2025,” he said.
The mayor disclosed that next year, the city’s national tax allotment (NTA) share also reached P2.2 billion from P1.9 billion this year. /MAP