• THERESA MAE DULMAN
The Bacolod City Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) opened the public hearing yesterday morning to begin deliberations on the city’s proposed P4.75 billion annual budget for 2026.
Councilor Jude Thaddeus Sayson, chairman of the SP Committee on Appropriations and Finance, confirmed that the hearing was just the start of review of the proposed P4.75B budget.
The SP began the first day of the budget review with the Local Finance Committee, which helped Mayor Greg Gasataya in preparing the annual budget.
“We require them to report whether we already complied with the set forth by law compliance, like the 5 percent disaster fund, 20 percent development fund, to 45 percent ceiling of personnel. That is a requirement so we should get the assurance of our budget officer,” Sayson said.
The budget deliberation was led by Sayson, along with Vice Mayor Claudio Jesus Puentevella.
The councilor expressed optimism regarding the timeline, stating that he hopes to finish the deliberation by November 28.
This schedule would allow the budget to be presented immediately to the council for its second reading.
He added that the committee has enough time to complete its work and is confident the budget will be formally approved by December 10.
The next budget hearing will resume on Monday and will focus on individual departments.*
