CITY OF SAN FERNANDO This city’s Committee on Appropriations is currently scrutinizing the P70 million supplemental budget proposed by the administration of Mayor Vilma Caluag.
In her August 2 letter to the City Council of San Fernando, Caluag said that the approval of the said request would “enable the City Government to address its expenditure concerns.”
However, Committee on Appropriations vice chair Ayzel Macalino, in a committee hearing over the weekend, said that the budget would be looked into to ensure that the details of the appropriations as well as the intended allocations are well specified.
Macalino said that they have been asking the city government heads to detail the appropriations and to ensure appropriations intended for certain sectoral beneficiaries will get what is due to them.
“We assure Fernandinos that the city council is doing its best to safeguard their interests,” Macalino said. Asked if the city council would slash some budget allocations in the proposal, the lady councilor said that the council is checking on the reasonability of some of the requests.
Councilor Enrico Hizon shared the sentiment of Macalino stressing that the council is looking at the details of the proposal to ensure that intended allocations are well defined. He added that they express concerns over allocations for scholars and senior citizens.
Under the proposed budget, the administration of Caluag is asking for P5,000,000 for donations, P14,160,000 for senior citizens, and P20,000,000 in expanded assistance to individuals in crisis situations among others.
The committee said that it would not be long now before they will wrap up meetings on the said proposal once the requirements requested are met by the department heads of the Caluag administration.