Health, GSO, mayor’s office get huge chunks of P2.7-B budget

By: Emme Rose Santiagudo

The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) on Tuesday approved the 2020 annual executive budget for Iloilo City totaling P 2,702,652,309.

The 2020 budget is 16.5 percent higher compared to the 2019 budget at P 2,318,992,692.

According to Councilor Jay Treñas, chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, the increase on the wages of the employees was prioritized in the budget.

“The increase on the budget is about P400 million. Ang priorities naton ang pagsaka sang wage from P400 to P500 sang aton mga empleyado,” he said in an interview on Thursday.

Out of the P2.703 billion approved budget, 57.21%, or P1.546 billion will be sourced from local taxes while 42.23%, or P1.14 billion, will come from the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) share.

Meanwhile, some 0.56 % or P15 million will come from the share of the city in the economic zone.

The top three departments that got the lion’s share of funds for personal services (wages and benefits of workers) are City Health Office (P139.48 million), General Services Office (P94.72 million) and City Mayor’s Office (P73.79 million).

Councilor Treñas said a huge chunk of budget also went to the city’s beautification program and the hiring of the additional personnel for the green and tourist guards.

“We also prioritized ang mga additional personnel para sa aton beautification kag para sa aton mga plaza guards, and equipment for peace and order,” he said.

Based on the approved budget, the city’s beautification program will get P30,877,400 while the tourism and green guards were appropriated P6.55 million each.

In a separate interview on Thursday, Mayor Jerry Treñas said that the city has enough funds for the cash incentives of the City Hall employees this Christmas.

However, the mayor said they will announce the good news once legal issues have been ironed out.

“We have more than enough funds gusto lang masiguro nga within the legal bounds kita. We want to make sure man with regards sa announcement ni President Rodrigo Duterte, because if we are qualified, then we will make sure our employees will also get the same amount,” he said.