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| SIX MONTHS IN. Laoag councilor Roger John Fariñas stressed a point during the discussion of the city’s 2019 annual budget during their June 10, 2019 regular session. The session ended way past 7 pm as the council finally passed the city’s annual budget six months into the year. (Doms dela Cruz) |
By Dominic B. dela Cruz
Staff reporter
Laoag City—After five months in the council, the Sangguniang Panlungsod here has passed the city’s 2019 annual budget on June 10, 2019.
The budget totals PHP879,951,091.97, a 13 percent increase from last year’s budget of PHP778,263,204.
Standing as a committee of the whole, all the councilors present during the June 10, 2019 session reintroduced the ordinance.
Budget deliberations stalled in January this year after a political shift in the council resulted in a new majority who voted down the budget ordinance.
Budget increase
The 2019 budget’s increase was based on the higher projected revenue resources for this year.
Estimates from 2019 local revenue sources was pegged at PHP387,008,060.97, or an increase of PHP56,382,060.97 compared to last year’s local revenue of PHP330,626,000.
City budget officials also estimated a PHP45 million increase for the city’s internal revenue allotment (IRA) share, which they pegged at PHP492,943,031 against last year’s IRA share of PHP447,637,204.
‘Lucky’
Outgoing Laoag councilor Shirley O. Sin, chair of the committee on finance, budget and appropriations said she considers this set of city officials as “still very lucky” as the annual budget was approved within this present outgoing administration.
More so, Mrs. Sin said city hall employees are now very happy, especially those who will be retiring this year because the computation of their terminal leave pay will be based on the new rate effective January of this year and those employees who are contract of service (COS) who will be resigning at the end of June will also receive an increase for their take-home pay because of the last tranche of salary increases.
The city government has implemented the salary increase as prescribed by Executive Order No. 201 since 2016. The first tranche of salary increases was in 2016 followed by two more tranches in 2017 and 2018 and the last tranche this year.
Clothing allowance was also increased from PHP5,000 to PHP6,000 as prescribed under Budget Circular No. 2008-1 dated March 8, 2018.
The approved budget also contains allocation for mid-year bonus which is equivalent to one month pay; year-end bonus which is also equivalent to another one month pay; cash gift in the amount of PHP5,000; and productivity enhancement incentive (PEI) pay of PHP5,000.
The 2019 budget also allocates PHP24 million as “special assistance” to the city’s barangays, which translates to PHP300,000 per barangay for land acquisition, construction, improvement of roads, buildings, and other structures and facilities continuous.
Mrs. Sin, being the movant of the ordinance, said they invited members of the local finance committee to shed light on some issues and concerns during the deliberation, which lasted for the whole day until way past 7 pm.
Differences
The Ilocos Times learned that the approved budget has the same amount from the budget proposal earlier submitted by the local finance committee in October of last year.
However, Mrs. Sin said that there were some amounts which was slashed from the different offices and moved under the “unappropriated balance”.
“Ngem adda met puntos da a nangi-reduce dagitay dadduma a paggastusan because we are in a re-enacted budget for 5 months, ket inkapilitan nga ada sangkabassit abelt tightening,” Mrs. Sin explained.
Records show that total amount slashed was around PHP18,023,743.39, “[D]aytoy ket ibati da ket mairaman idiay unappropriated balance for 2019 a mabalin to nga usaren ti sumaruno nga administrasyon,” Mrs. Sin added.
Aside from the maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE), which was slashed, the reduced budget included “aid to the ABC” from PHP500,000 to PHP100,000; “aid to SK” from PHP200,000 to PHP100,000; and the purchase of lot for the proposed sanitary landfill at Brgy. Balatong from PHP10 million to PHP2 million.
The PHP8 million slashed from the proposed lot acquisition was diverted for road improvements under the city engineering office.
Realignments
Outgoing Laoag Vice Mayor and council presiding officer Atty. Franklin Dante A. Respicio, for his part, also announced and confirmed the approval of the budget
“Gapu ta indasar iti maysa a kameng iti konseho iti concern dagiti dadduma nga agnaed iti Brgy. Balatong nga adda paylang panagamak da kadetoy pannakaipatakder daytoy makunkuna a landfill sadiay a barangay,” Mr. Respicio reasoned for the reduction of the landfill lot acquisition from PHP10 million to php2 million.
However, Mr. Respicio said the Sangguniang Panlungsod can realign funds anytime for the said purpose because the PHP8 million was deemed “saved” under the engineering department.
“Adda met tay makun-kuna nga unappropriated balance wennu surplus from the estimated income ket no dumteng iti sitwasyon a pagkasapulan iti pundo iti nadumaduma nga opisina, ket aliston to laeng appo a masoposopan baket aliston to laeng appo a masoposopan babaen tay makun-kuna a supplemental budget nga ipasa itiSangguniang Panlungsod,” Mr. Respicio explained.