ILOILO City – The League of the Municipalities of the Philippines in Iloilo urged the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) to approve the proposed P3.7-billion provincial budget for 2019.
The League passed a resolution relative to this during its first meeting this year held on Feb. 1 at the Governor’s Board Room of the provincial capitol.
Around 24 mayors from across the province attended the meeting.
Mayor Ronilo Caspe of Cabatuan, the League’s executive vice president for special concerns, proposed the resolution, which will be forwarded to the SP this week.
According to Caspe, the delay in passing the provincial budget does not only affect capitol employees but towns as well.
He said municipal governments cannot fully fund some projects, the reason that they have to ask assistance from the provincial government.
“Ang apektado sang indi pag-approve sang annual budget sang province indi lang empleyado sang provincial capitol kundi apektado man ang bilog nga probinsya sang Iloilo, ilabi na gid ang may mga developmental projects nga mga banwa,” the mayor said.
Cabatuan, for example, needs financial aid from the provincial government for the facilities to be used during the congressional sports meet in the 3rd quarter of the year, according to Caspe.
He added that the financial aid should be released before March, before the start of the campaign period, so that they can start building the facilities.
“Imagine, ma-lift ang banning sa June. So, kon dira kami ma-umpisa obra
basi kulangon kami sang oras nga mapahuman ang mga kinahanglanon nga facilities,” Caspe said.
The SP Committee on Appropriations led by Liga ng mga Barangay Federation president Dorothy Paes is scheduled to finish deliberating the 2019 budget on March 1.
Offices and agencies in the province were slated to attend budget hearings in the following dates:
*Feb. 6, 7, and 8 – Provincial Culture, Arts, History and Tourism Office, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, Human Resource Management and Development Office, Public Attorney’s Office, Municipal Circuit Trial Court, and Provincial Engineer’s Office
*Feb. 13, 14 and 15 – Provincial Accountant’s Office, Provincial Treasurer’s Office, Provincial Budget Office, Department of Interior and Local Government-Iloilo, Provincial Health Office, and Hospital Management Office
*Feb. 20, 21 and 22 – Provincial Auditor’s Office, Provincial Assessor’s Office, Information and Communication Technology Office, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office, Provincial Legal Office, and Bids and Awards Committee
*Feb. 27 to March 1 – Provincial Administrator’s Office, Provincial Task Force on Road Safety and Task Force on Overloading, San Joaquin Mother and Child Hospital, Provincial Planning and Development Office, Provincial Agriculture’s Office, Provincial Population Office, and Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office
In January, officials from 12 hospitals in the province, Registry of Deeds, Parole and Probation Administration, Public Information and Community Affairs Office, Provincial Library and Archives, General Services Office, Provincial Auditor’s Office, Provincial Prosecutor’s Office, Clerk of Court, Regional State Prosecutor’s Office, and Public Information and Community Affairs Office, Public Employment and Services Office,
Provincial Veterinary Office, Internal Audit Service, and Iloilo Sports Development and Management Office attended the initial budget hearings./PN
