BACOLOD City Councilor Caesar Distrito, chairperson of committee on appropriation and finance, has started the marathon hearings for the city’s proposed P2-billion annual general budget for 2017.
Distrito said the hearings will continue Thursday and Friday, with the presence of concerned department heads.
He added that the P2-billion proposed budget next year is higher by P200 million from this year’s budget of P1.8 billion.
Present during the first hearing last week were the personnel of the City Council with P89 million proposed budget, City Mayor’s Office, P687 million, Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Office (City Planning and Development Office), P17.9 million, Office of the City Civil Registry, P9.6 million, General Services Office, P43.9 million, City Budget Office, P10.8 million, Office of the City Accountant, P14.9 million, Management and Audit Services Office, P7.4 million, City Treasurer’s Office-Administrative Division, P11 million, City Treasurer’s Office-License Division, P20.6 million, City Treasurer’s Office-Cash Division, P13 million, City Assessor’s Office, P19.3 million, and the Management and Information Technology Services Office, P17.5 million proposed budget.
On Tuesday, the hearing was attended by heads and representatives of the City Library, Office of the City Prosecutor, the Clerk of the Regional Trial Courts, P1.2 million, Metropolitan Trial Courts in Cities, P505,000, Bacolod City Police Office, P4.3 million, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, P1 million, Bureau of Fire Protection, P1.9 million, Department of Education Division of Bacolod City, P4.4 million, Bacolod City College, P31 million, and City Health Office and Lying-In Center, P131 million.
Distrito also discussed the inclusion of the second tranche of the salary increase of the city employees in accordance with the Salary Standardization Law (SSL) 4, the salary increase of job order casuals from P7,590 to P10,000 a month, budget for the free public wifi connection worth P3 million, scholarships, P5 million, other projects such as the free school supplies in public elementary schools, P14.5 million, free miscellaneous fees in public schools amounting of P3.5 million, and medical/burial assistance amounting of P16 million.
The city also allotted P180 million budget for the environmental services allocated for solid waste collection, and other professional services amounting to P116 million for the allowances of the uniformed personnel such as teachers, police officers, judges, and fiscals, among others. (MAP)