BY CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
The Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod approved the P3.25 billion Annual Budget for 2023 on the third and final reading, during its regular session yesterday.
The fund sources of next year’s general fund budget are the local sources amounting to P1.39 billion and the National Tax Allocation (NTA) amounting to P1.85 billion.
The P3.25 billion annual budget maintains a status quo with the previous year’s budget. This is the city’s third time to hit the three-billion-mark in terms of budget, with P3 billion in 2020 and P3.25 billion in 2022.
The distribution of the budget is as follows: general public services amounting to P1,269,856,198 comprising 39 percent; social services – P1,051,091,867 (32 percent); other services – P673,455,385 (21 percent) and economic services – P255,596,550 (8 percent).
Councilor Jude Thaddeus Sayson, chairman of the SP Committee on Finance, said the administration’s priorities include the health sector through the Bacolod Comprehensive Health Program (BacCHP), City Engineer’s Office for repairs, senior citizens, and the 20 percent development fund, among others.
The maintenance and operating expenses (MOOE) of the different departments of the city have however been reduced by 10 percent, he said.
Councilor Claudio Puentevella pointed out that education is also a priority of the Benitez administration and the city will be maintaining the same number of scholars next year.*
