THE executive department of the Cebu City Government has requested a second supplemental budget (SB2) amounting to P384 million, which would increase the City’s total budget for 2024 to over P27 billion if approved.
SB2 proposes P145,238,500 for garbage collection and disposal services; P100,250,000 for maintenance of national and city streets and bridges; and P70,292,000 for the Cebu City Health Department.
The office of Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia submitted the proposal to the City Council on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024.
The council is set to discuss SB2 during its regular session on Wednesday, Aug. 14.
John Paul Gelasque, acting head of the Department of Public Services, told SunStar Cebu in a phone interview on Tuesday, Aug. 13 that the department had initially requested a P455 million budget for garbage collection for the entire year of 2024.
However, only P300 million was approved last December as part of the 2024 budget.
He said the current allocation for tipping fees would last only until mid-September, while funding for garbage haulers would be exhausted by the end of August.
The proposed supplemental amount is intended to cover the remaining 2024 budget needs for tipping fees and garbage haulers.
Gelasque was unable to explain why the annual budget was reduced to P300 million.
Attempts to reach City Treasurer’s Office head Mare Vae Reyes for further details were unsuccessful.
First supplemental budget
The council approved the first supplemental budget amounting to P972 million during a special session on Friday, March 8, 2024. The amount includes the P121 million for the cash incentive, as well as the P5,000 gratuity pay of job order employees.
This was approved two months before the preventive suspension of Mayor Michael Rama was ordered by the Ombudsman.
Cebu City’s budget for 2024 has been at P25.83 billion. / JPS