ILOILO – Mayor Christian Sorongon of the municipality of New Lucena urged the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) to hasten the approval of the town’s 2019 proposed budget of P78 million.
Sorongon said this year’s recent fiesta celebration of New Lucena (Jan. 24) was affected.
The delivery of health services such as the release of assistance to individuals in crisis situations, would also suffer, he warned.
“Gina-id-idan pa nila kuno ang budget,” said Sorongon.
While waiting for the approval of this year’s budget, the local government of New Lucena is currently operating under the 2018 reenacted budget.
This was not the first time the approval of New Lucena’s annual budget got delayed. It happened last year, said Sorongon.
He was not really surprised, said the mayor, noting that he only had one ally – Teodoro Barela – in the SB.
Six other SB members – Wilfredo Labaro, Nestor Sibolinao, Isabelo Acollador, Rodolfo Sumaray, Isidro Sala, and Henry Acuero – were allies of the previous mayor (now Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Liecel Mondejar Seville) while one – Rene Asoy – was an independent, he said.
The 2018 budget, Sorongon recalled, was only approved by the SB in February last year.
He hoped the delay in this year’s budget had nothing to do with politics, he said.
“Bal-an naman naton nga nagahilapit na ang election. Kabay pa nga mapaiway ang politika kay ti para ‘ni ‘ya sa pumoluyo naton ang mga programa kag proyekto,” said Sorongon./PN
