BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on third reading a proposed ordinance realigning some P150 million as certified available by the city’s local finance committee pursuant to the provisions of Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Circular No. 124, series of 2020, to supplement the funds earmarked to address the Corona Virus Disease (COVID) 2019 situation in the city.
The ordinance authored by all members of the City Council states there is an urgent need for the city government to realign, from the savings of the city as certified available by the local finance committee, the amount of P150 million to fund the various programs and projects as outlined to address the COVID 2019 situation in the city, especially in the light of the increasing number of persons under investigation (PUIs) and confirmed COVID cases during the ongoing Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine.
Under the established rules and regulations on the policy in providing funds for COVID-19 related programs, projects and activities (PPAs), local government units shall effect changes in their respective annual budgets through supplemental budgets in accordance with Section 321 of toe Local Government Code and Article 417 of its implementing rules and regulations as amended by Administrative Order No. 47, as discussed under the Budget Operations Manual for LGUs 2016 edition, under circumstances such as in times of calamity, by way of budgetary realignment, to set aside appropriations for the purchase of supplies and materials or the payment of services, which are exceptionally urgent or absolutely indispensable to prevent eminent danger to, or loss of, life or property, in the jurisdiction of the LGU or in other areas declared in a state of calamity by the President.
Earlier, DBM Local Budget Circular No. 124, series of 2020, established the policy guidelines on the provision of funds by local government units for PPAs to address the COVID 2019 situation in the country.
The realigned amount of P150 million as certified available by the city’s local finance committee will come from the savings of the city’s annual budget and will be used to fund the identified priority programs, projects and activities geared towards effectively and efficiently addressing the COVID situation in the city.
Aside from declaring the entire Luzon island under enhanced community quarantine, President Rodrigo R. Duterte also placed the whole country under a state of calamity to allow local governments to access part of their local disaster risk reduction and management fund for relief assistance to the vulnerable and marginalized sector who have been heavily impacted by the effects of the ongoing quarantine.
Moreover, work was also suspended from March 17 to April 13, 2020 pursuant to an order issued by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea by authority of the President in response to the COVID-19 situation in the different parts of Luzon.
The city government will provide the further details of the PPAs to be funded by the realigned funds from the savings of the city’s annual budget to sustain the ongoing anti-COVID campaign of the city amidst the continuous increase in the number of cases in the city over the past several days.
By Dexter A. See