BY CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
The Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Finance and Appropriations will hold a virtual committee hearing on the P3.250 billion Executive Budget for 2022 today.
Councilor Cindy Rojas, committee chairperson, said next year’s budget is an increase of 25 percent from this year’s annual budget of P2.6 billion.
Rojas attributed the increase to the Mandanas ruling.
The P3.250 billion Executive Budget includes the budget of the different departments and offices of the city, as well as for other projects they have set aside, she said.
“The biggest slice of the budget covers health and social services, and other COVID-19 related expenses since we are still under a pandemic. Health is number one because it is a basic need of the people. So, we really have to increase the budget for health services,” Rojas said.
Education is also a priority, while there is also an increase in the budget for the Bacolod City Police Office, she said.
Meanwhile, Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran said the Mandanas case applies to all local government units (LGUs).
Familiaran said that with the increase in the budget, the spending capacity of LGUs for programs and projects will also increase.*
