THE Mandaue City Council approved on first reading the proposed P4.5 billion budget for the city’s 2025 operations during its regular session on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024.
The office of Mayor Glenn Bercede submitted the proposed annual budget to the council.
The proposed budget focuses on key appropriations aimed at sustaining public services, implementing infrastructure projects, and supporting community programs. It allocates P938.96 million for personal services, P2 billion for maintenance and other operating expenses, and P415.87 million for capital outlay.
Additional allocations include P225 million for disaster risk reduction, P76.68 million for peace and order, P542.59 million for gender and development programs.
The proposed budget ordinance states that unutilized funds will revert to the City’s general fund at the end of the fiscal year. Any conflicting ordinances or regulations will be repealed or amended to ensure smooth implementation.
If approved on third reading and signed by the mayor, the budget will take effect on Jan. 1, 2025, signaling the start of a new fiscal year.
Comparison
The 2025 budget is significantly lower than the P7.4 billion allocated for 2024.
The 2024 budget included a P3 billion appropriation for the construction of a one-stop government center within the compound of abandoned Cebu International Convention Center.
The current proposal is based on a detailed summary of appropriations prepared by Assistant City Budget Officer Stephanie Ann Ybañez and reviewed by City Budget Officer Giovanni Tianero.
The proposed budget ordinance will proceed to second reading in subsequent council sessions for further deliberation.
SunStar Cebu reached out to City Councilor Marie Immaline Cortes-Zafra, chairperson of the committee on appropriations, budget and finance, to ask the reason behind the proposal which is lower than the 2024 budget, but she was unavailable for comment as of press time. / CAV