SEVERAL items of the budget proposed by the executive department for 2024 have been slashed by the Cebu City Council’s committee on budget and finance, reducing some proposed expenditures from P62 billion to P12 billion.
A local legislator also questioned the budget appropriation of nearly P500 million for the “Sayaw (Strategic Assessment for your Assets and Worth) para sa Buhis” for 2024.
During the regular session on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023, City Councilor Noel Wenceslao, committee chairman, said the “appropriations should not be more than P50 billion.”
Wenceslao presented the following adjustments in the budget:
• The proposed P900 million under the Office of the Mayor’s special bodies, projects, and programs was reduced to P400 million.
• For “Sayaw para sa Buhis,” the P424,416,027 budget was reduced to P343,104,000.
• Under the Cebu City Eco Park, the proposed budget of P72,610,000 was cut to P22 million.
• For Coastline Management, the proposed P14.7 million was cut to P4.5 million.
• The budget of all offices under the Office of the Mayor was reduced to P9,111,007,52 from the initial P55.5 billion.
• Under the Peace and Order Program, the proposed P1 billion budget was reduced to P500 million.
• The Cebu City Development Office’s proposal of P198,453,585 was reduced to P98,453,585.
• The Department of Engineering and Public Works’ proposal of P4,737,771,000 was also cut to P2,368,885,500
Several councilors suggested reducing next year’s budget to an “achievable” amount, with Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera suggesting a P20 billion budget for next year.
This was echoed by City Councilor Mary Ann de los Santos, who said the council should approve a budget that is realistic.
“Stupid”
“We did not even reach P50 billion and now a P100 billion. We will be looking very stupid then if we approve (this) in the council,” she said.
“Once upon a time we were stupid in approving the P50 billion, so we don’t want to be called stupid twice,” the councilor from the north added.
If the City can collect more next year, then the council will just approve a supplemental budget, de los Santos.
Pesquera highlighted the need to cut funds for certain programs, notably the Youth Development Program, which has a higher appropriation than the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW). She justified this by referring to the DEPW as a “big office” while characterizing the former as a “special program.”
She urged the committee to address potential “duplication” of funding within the budget, citing the programs for children and senior citizens.
Aside from the P1 billion financial assistance as well as P2 billion under DSWS, she said the executive department allocated an additional P500 million for the operations of the senior citizens council.
She said with all the “highfalutin words” of the acting budget officer, there are duplications in funds allocations, putting these funds in different offices.
“I am with the mayor for the Singapore-like Cebu City, but I am not in agreement with all these balloon budgets… I cannot really, by conscience, agree and even for the P50 billion,” Pesquera said.
Meanwhile, Pesquera asked Wenceslao about the existence of an ordinance establishing the specific office for “Sayaw para sa Buhis,” of which the City allocated funds amounting to nearly P500 million to implement its programs.
“Why do we need to appropriate P500 million, just for them to do their job of collection,” she said. “What’s the guarantee that their collection will really reach P50 billion?”
Wenceslao said there is no existing ordinance, but he is certain that there is an executive order for the said office from the mayor’s office.
He said the “Sayaw para sa Buhis” is a special program that aims to help the City collect taxes.
Pesquera said if there is really a need to allocate funds for it, then the amount should only be P10 million.
“We put the funds to the proper offices rather than in officers or programs that are not covered in any ordinance,” she said.
The “Sayaw para sa Buhis” is under the Office of the Mayor’s special bodies, projects, and programs.