GULLAS PROPOSES P1B BUDGET FOR ‘18

Mayor says most of budget for next year will be spent on infrastructure, such as the construction of the new Tabunok Public Market

Talisay City Mayor Eduardo Gullas submitted the City’s proposed 2018 budget worth P1 billion to the City Council yesterday.

Gullas presented the proposed budget to Vice Mayor Alan Bucao and the city councilors during their regular session.

The proposed budget this year is 25 percent higher compared to this year’s annual budget which is only P888 million.

Of the P888 million, P569 million is from next year’s Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) share from the National Government while P374 million is from business and real estate taxes.

Gullas said that the biggest share of next year’s budget is dedicated to maintenance and operating expenses, with P572 million.

Included in the maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) allocation is Gullas’s confidential funds worth P20 million, which is P5 million more than this year’s P15 million.

The next biggest allocation for next year’s budget is for personal services worth P209 million, while P113.8 million will be allocated to the 20 percent development fund.

Gullas said that for next year’s budget, they are prioritizing in- frastructure projects such as the construction of Phase 2 of the new Tabunok Public Market, the conversion of the old public market in Barangay Lagtang into a technical-vocational school, flood mitigation measures in some barangays, and road concreting.

In a separate interview, Bucao said they plan to tackle next year’s budget after the city’s annual fiesta on Oct. 15. They are scheduling the first series of budget hearings on November.

Bucao said they will scrutinized the annual budget and if needed, transfer allocations that are not needed by the City.