P4-BILLION CLUB: Iloilo City, Province Propose 2025 Budgets Exceeding P4B

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor and Mariela Angella Oladive

The city and provincial governments of Iloilo have proposed executive budgets exceeding P4 billion each for 2025.

Iloilo City’s proposed budget is P4.134 billion, reflecting a 14.83% increase from the P3.6 billion approved for 2024.

Mayor Jerry Treñas said in a letter to the City Council that the budget will fund priority programs, the first tranche of the Salary Standardization Law 6, health services, debt payments, and other mandatory expenses.

He added that the 2025 budget is a “blueprint” for the RISE Program, a four-year strategic roadmap for Iloilo City, which stands for Responsive and Inclusive Human Development, Innovative Economic Development, Sustainable Environment, and Essential Resilient Infrastructure.

This initiative continues the WHEELS Program launched in 2019, which focused on Welfare, Health, Education, Environment, Livelihood, and Sustainability.

The RISE Program was introduced in February 2024, shortly after Treñas endorsed his daughter, Raisa, for the 2025 mayoral race. Raisa has filed her candidacy, with slogans such as “Rais and Shine” and “Rais UP Iloilo City.”

In Iloilo City’s 2025 budget, 40% will be allocated to maintenance and operating expenses, followed by personnel services at 32%, special purpose appropriations at 16%, capital outlay at 8%, and financial expenses at 4%.

The city expects to generate more than P2 billion from tax revenues, P1.7 billion from the National Tax Allocation (NTA), and P273.8 million from service and income revenues.

Iloilo Province’s P4.8-B Budget

The Iloilo provincial government has proposed a P4.849 billion budget for 2025, which is about P700 million higher than the 2024 budget of P4.174 billion.

Of this, P2.98 billion will cover current operating expenses, including P1.79 billion for maintenance and other operating expenses, P1.18 billion for personnel services, and P10 million for capital outlay.

The Special Purpose Appropriation budget is P1.864 billion, which includes funds for the 20% NTA development fund, 5% for the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund, aid to barangays, and terminal leave payments.

Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. said the provincial government aims to make the 2025 budget “developmental,” focusing on essential projects such as road connectivity, electricity, internet access, and water systems.

“The budget will also provide counterparts for national government projects in the province,” Defensor said.

More than P4.47 billion of the budget will come from the national tax allocation, with the rest sourced locally and from the province’s retained operating surplus.

For the Local Economic Enterprise Office, the province has allocated a P1.25 billion budget for 2025, an increase from P957 million in 2024, which funds the operation of district and provincial hospitals.

Defensor said the proposed budget was submitted to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for deliberations on October 16, and it is expected to be approved before the end of the year.