ILOILO City – The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP), during Tuesday’s regular session, approved this city’s 2022 Annual Budget amounting to P3.083 billion.
Next year’s budget is higher than this year’s P2.7 billion.
The Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) has the biggest chunk – 35 percent of the proposed budget – at P1.08 billion.
Personal Services (PS) has the second highest allocation at P1.081 billion; Special Purpose Appropriation at over P710.5 million; Capital Outlay at P200.1 million; and Financial Expenses at P52.8 million.
The Local Economic Enterprise, meantime, has a budget of P75.795-million.
On the other hand, the City Mayor’s Office has the highest budget at P695 million followed by City Engineer’s Office at P254 million, City Health Office with P188 million, City Auditor’s Office with P104 million, PSTMO with P101.9 million, and Sanggunian Panlungsod with P100.3 million.
Earlier, in the proposed budget, Mayor Jerry Treñas noted that despite the coronavirus pandemic, the city’s receipts were projected to increase by 18.1 percent due to the increase in its National Tax Allotment or NTA (formerly Internal Revenue Allotment or IRA) share because of the Supreme Court ruling on the Mandanas-Garcia cases.
However, Treñas noted that projections from local sources were down in anticipation of decreased collections due to pandemic-induced closure (permanent/temporary) of establishments.
Of the P3.08-billion estimated receipts certified by the Local Finance Committee, P1.457 billion or 47.28 percent is from local sources while P1.607 billion or 52.15 percent represents the city’s share from the NTA.
Meantime, around P17.5 million or 0.57 percent is from the city’s share in the economic zone with a capital spending of P6,737 for a projected population of 457,626 inhabitants per 2020 Census of the National Statistics Office.
According to Treñas, the 2022 budget features the following:
* Observance of status quo on appropriations for MOOE accounts except those whose proposals for an increase are deemed necessary
* Appropriation for increase in salaries and wages of workers based on job orders and contracts of services by 12.5 percent
* Appropriation for implementation of the third tranche of the salary schedule for local government units effective July 2022
* Appropriation for newly-created offices such as the Office of the Building Official, City Architect’s Office and Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office
* Implementation of BDM Budget Circular No. 137 re: Index of Occupational Standard, Position Titles and Salary Grades in the Local Government 2021 Edition
* Allocation of funds for programs, projects and activities mandated under LBM No.82; and
* Funding for infrastructure projects that will help boost the city’s economy and in keeping with the “Build, Build, Build” program of the national government.
“We are embracing a positive outlook and remain consistent in our vision to come up with a balanced budget without necessary sacrificing our mandates,” said Treñas.
On the other hand, the SP also approved the Supplement Budget No. 6 where benefits such as the collective negotiation agreement (CNA), hazard pay and performance enhancement incentive (PEI) were funded.
“CNA is P18,000 each; PEI is P5,000 for regular employees. The hazard pay is P300 times number of actual days on duty but not to exceed 15 days. Both permanent and job hires are entitled to the hazard pay,” Treñas said.
Treñas thanked the city council for the prompt approval of the benefits of employees as well as the 2022 annual budget./PN
