Council awaits budget proposal from mayor
Despite announcing an initial amount of P25,000 as a Charter Day bonus, the Cebu City Council has yet to receive a formal budget proposal from the executive department to start the deliberation.
“Wala pa gyud mi kakita sa proposal gikan sa executive kay ipaagi man ni og supplemental budget,” said Councilor Noel Wenceslao, chairman of the Committee on Budget and Finance.
Approximately a week before the 87th Charter Day of Cebu City, Wenceslao said there has been no supplemental budget proposal referred to his committee. He explained that any amount to be given as Charter Day bonus has to be through a supplemental budget since it is not included in the 2024 Annual Budget.
“Kining supplemental budget, kinahanglan ni tukion sa konseho because it is not only the mayor who will approve, it is not only the vice mayor who will approve, or it is not only me as chairman of the committee of budget and finance that will solely approve but the entire council,” said Wenceslao.
In the absence of the official proposal coming from the executive department, Wenceslao said they could not schedule a budget hearing and start the deliberation. A budget hearing is necessary for the members of the Local Finance Committee (LFC) and the City Treasurer to justify the source of fund and its availability for the purpose.
In his conversation with the LFC Chairman, Attorney Jerone Castillo, Wenceslao said that aside from the budget proposal on the Charter Day bonus, the city government will also look into the budget allocations for the hosting of Palarong Pambansa and the CVRAA.
“Mao ning nadugay kuno sila because they have to fix the amount kung pila gyuy kinahanglan for the Palaro so mao ng medyo na delay,” said Wenceslao.
“So akong giingnan si Attorney Castillo na ayaw kaayo og dugaya because February 24 is our Charter Day so we want it approved on or before the 24th,” he added.
Wenceslao said he is hopeful that the initial amount proposed by Vice Mayor Raymond Garcia will be approved. He said it has been a practice in the city government to give Charter Day bonus to City Hall employees.
According to him, it is only fitting that the employees will be granted bonus this year since it is already the 87th Charter Day of the city. Last year, the city only approved P15,000 as Charter Day bonus.
This year, they are hoping to get P25,000 as initially agreed by the LFC and the vice mayor.
“Kay ako, kung wala lang gyud problema sa availability of funds nganong dili gyud, pwede gani pun-an… ang problema lang ato sang tan-awon kung naa bay pundo,” said Wenceslao.