In a vote of 8-6, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan ng Davao de Oro approved the Calendar Year Executive Budget for 2024 on its 81st regular session held on February 26, 2024, at the Legislative Building Session Hall, Provincial Capitol, Nabunturan, Davao de Oro. Vice Governor Jayvee Tyron Uy presided over the session with all 14 board members present.
The SP approved a total budget of P2,879,987,470, P2.3 billion of which are intended for the general operations of the province and P545 million for the management of economic enterprises.
Eight members of the SP also voted to delete the item on confidential expenses and rechannel its total appropriations of P105 million to the following priorities;
• Additional P2 million for the repair and rehabilitation of damaged infrastructures
• Additional P3.690 million for the Infectious Disease Program of the Provincial Health Office
• Additional P637,500 for the Oral Health Program of the Provincial Health Office
• Additional P15.6 million for the medical and dental supplies of the four provincial hospitals in Laak, Pantukan, Maragusan, and Montevista
• Additional P51 million for assistance to indigent patients in the four provincial hospitals for the zero balance billing program and
• P32 million unprogrammed appropriations for greening and reforestation programs, relocation of displaced persons and families, temporary shelters for affected calamity-stricken families
Among those who voted for the passage of the budget are Board Members Herv Martelle Zamora Apsay, Kris Caballero, Raul Caballero, Eutropio Jayectin, Renato Basanes, Raul Mabanglo, Noriel John Ramacula, and Jammaila Budac.
Those six who voted against the budget are the following: Board Members Ruwina Gonzaga, Vivencia Secuya, Marie Jude Fuentes-Lopoz, Wilfredo Ang, Teodoro Arancon, and Albert Camana.
On his part, Vice Gov. Uy said that the budget passed by the SP will help the Davao de Oro recover from all the calamities that hit it.
“As you can see, prayoridad sa SP nga paspas makabangon ang Davao de Oro gikan sa kalamidad. Kung makita ninyo, (it’s the priority of the SP for Davao de Oro to quickly recover from the calamity. As you can see,) we rechannelled some appropriations sa mga mas importanteng prayoridad karong panahona sama sa (to more important priorities at this time, such as) recovery and rehabilitation, relocation sites, temporary shelters, health, and tabang sa mga indigent patients sa hospitals (and hospitalization assistance for the indigent patients). This helps the governor in delivering her mandate,” Uy said.
The vice governor also clarified that there are certain factors that prolonged the process of passing the budget.
“For one, halos isa ka bulan ang SP naghulat nga mutungha ang mga department heads (the SP was waiting for almost a month for the department heads to be present in the proceedings). They were not given permission by the governor to attend the proceedings of the SP. In fact, since last year, almost 24 sessions na wala’y nagpakita nga department heads (the department heads had failed to attend). The process would have been faster had the governor let them attend. But that’s not an issue now. Ang importante naa na ta’y budget nga mu-alalay sa Davao de Oro diha sa atong pagbangon (What important now is that we already have a budget to assist the Davao de Oro for its recovery),” Uy said. OVG-Info