Big shares for police, hospital in proposed budget

Big shares for police, hospital in proposed 2015 budget

THE construction of a new Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) has the biggest share of the proposed P610-million local development fund (LDF) of the City Government for next year.

Of the total LDF, P300 million has been set aside for the CCMC, which the City needs to rebuild after demolishing its quakedamaged old building in 2013.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama also proposed a P473-million budget to construct a new building and improve the present Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) and the fire department. The amount is included in the P628-million budget proposal for the City’s peace and order program.

But to get these funds, Rama and the executive department both need to convince the City Council to approve the P18.9-billion proposed annual budget for 2015, the biggest so far in the city’s history.

If the P300-million budget for CCMC is approved, it will be the second allocation to build the new hospital. The construction of the new CCMC is expected to cost P1.5 billion, for a 10-storey facility with more than 400 beds.

At present, the City has P316 million in available funds for the project, with the P16 million coming from the “Piso Mo, Hospital Ko” fund-raising drive. The first P300-million budget was incorporated in the first supplemental budget of the City for 2014.

The City demolished the old CCMC after is suffered heavy damage in the 7.2-magnitude earthquake in October last year.

Aside from CCMC, some P20 million of the P610-million proposed LDF has been set aside for the renovation and improvement of barangay health centers.

The City Government wanted to improve the barangay health centers to support the currently limited operations of the CCMC in the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) compound.

From the previous 300-bed facility, CCMC now only operates with 108 beds.

CCMC Chief Dr. Gloria Duterte has said that patients they can no longer accommodate are referred to other hospitals like Chong Hua Hospital, Adventist Hospital and the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

Other items that are included in the LDF are the construction of the Tinago Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council building (P12 million), renovation of the City Health building (P15 million), improvement of Taptap evacuation center (P3.5 million) and improvement of the Tisa evacuation center (P5.4 million).

It also includes the purchase of garbage trucks for the 80 barangays (P84 million), road concreting in the mountain barangays (P5.6 million), livelihood programs (P50 million) and construction of a bridge in Barangay Pulangbato (P20 million).

The LDF represents 20 percent of the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) of the City or its share of the national taxes.

Bigger intelligence fund

Larger than the proposed LDF, by around P18 million, is the proposed budget for peace and order in 2015.

This year, City allocated only P2 million for capital outlay or the fund which is intended for the infrastructure projects and other special projects.

From P500,000 this year, the executive department has proposed P25 million for intelligence and confidential expenses.

Of the P473 million for a new CCPO building and improvements in the fire department, the proposed purchase of firefighting equipment and accessories will get P186 million. (The construction of the CCPO itself is expected to cost P50 million.)

Also included is an allocation of P108 million for the purchase of vehicles, P28 million for the purchase of various police equipment, P27 million for the rehabilitation and improvement of fire substations, P20 million for the rehabilitation and improvement of Parian Fire Station, P4 million for the purchase of communication equipment and P2 million to renovate the firing range.

Mayor Rama has said he also wants to increase the allowances that the City gives the police and firefighters.

From P65 million this year, the executive department is proposing P73 million next year for the allowances of police personnel, officials of the National Bureau of Investigation and Maritime Police, plus P750,000 for the police operatives serving in the mountain barangays.

The mayor also doubled the proposed allowances for the city’s firefighters, from P4 million this year to P8 million next year.

Close to P5 million was also allocated for the allowances of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BFAT), from P2.4 million this year.

From no allocation this year, the executive department has proposed P3.3 million for the Public Attorney’s Office allowances.