Some Capitol dep'ts opt for budget cut

To pave the way for the implementation of the Provincial Health Office’s programs, some Capitol departments and offices have opted to lobby for a smaller annual budget or a bit similar to this year’s appropriations.

These are the offices of the provincial agriculturist, veterinarian, social welfare and development officer, maintenance officer, budget officer, accountant, treasurer, and general services officer.

Budget Officer Danilo Rodas said the Provincial Agriculture Office and Provincial Veterinary Office, for instance, agreed to slash their proposed budget from P423 million to P227 million.

Rodas assured though that the operations of the said offices won’t be hampered despite budget cut or smaller budget.

“Aside from health, as is na ilang (other offices) budget. Pero dili pud ingon nga kulangan kay dako na man ang ilang budget,” he said.

“During the course of implementation, unya magkulang mag-supplemental ta if duna’y available funds,” he added.

The budget of other departments, on the other hand, was increased but not more than P50 million.

Rodas said the budget division understands the priority of the governor which is the hospital upgrades.

“Duna’y proposed budgetary increase for next year, unya gi-prioritize ang hospital,” he said.

Healthcare is one of Governor Hilario Davide III’s six-key development agenda. Others are educational and technical vocational training, agriculture and countryside development, environmental protection, disaster risk reduction and climate change, infrastructure, sustainable tourism, and private sector participation, and law and order.

Davide, in an earlier interview, said some departments "voluntarily sacrificed" their proposed annual budget to give way to the health programs.

About P1.4 billion out of the proposed P4.5 billion budget for the province will be allotted for health and social services.

The health budget will cover the construction and improvement of infrastructure as well as the acquisition of equipment and vehicles for province-run hospitals.

The purchases will form part of the Capitol’s plan to upgrade the provincial hospitals in Carcar City and Danao City, with a view of turning them into medical centers to decrease patient accumulation in Cebu City. At least P597 million has been earmarked for the upgrade.

The rest will go to funding Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) for the PHO. Rodas said the province allocated P200 million for infrastructure.

Of the P4.5 billion proposed budget for 2018, about P3.8 billion will cover the MOOE of all offices in the executive and legislative departments.

Next year’s budget is P1.08 billion more than this year’s budget of P3.6 billion. Rodas said the bigger budget is due to the province’s increased revenue.

The budget proposal has been received and noted by the Provincial Board (PB) last Monday but the schedule for the budget hearing is yet to be determined.—

Mitzi A. Ambrad/KBQ

Lorraine