BAGUIO CITY – The City budget office disclosed that the annual budget of the local government had an average growth rate of 10 percent over the past five years or from P1.395 billion in 2014 to P2.056 billion this year.
City Budget Officer Leticia O. Clemente underscored that the local government has efficiently managed its income and expenditures through responsible implementation of policies, practices and fiscal decisions through the years that resulted to a sustained increase in the city’s annual budget.
In 2014, the city’s annual budget was P1,395,822,000 before it increased to P1,501,510,000 in 2015, P1,622,910,000 in 2016, P1,776,213,147 in 2017 and P2,056,449,064 in 2018.
For the development fund amounting to P179,474,000 next year, Clemente claimed that the priority programs, projects and activities identified for major development has a total budgetary requirement of P149,474,000 which is 83.28 percent of the total development fund.
On the other hand, the 2019 programs, projects and activities to be funded from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund include the Baguio City Earthquake Model Probability Seismic Ground Motion Hazard Assessment – P1 million, mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction and management and climate change adaptation activities through information, education campaign reproduction and distribution – P1.5 million, installation of Light Emitting Diode (LED) monitors in conspicuous areas or in highways going in and out of Baguio City – P3 million, continuation of drainage canal from Bauda to Bustarde’s residence at Hillside barangay – P800,000, construction of flood control between Mendoza, Dar and Fontanilla families at Hillside barangay – P1 million and construction of slope protection, canal with perforated cover and road improvement at Purok 6 from Novelo residence to Bernardez residence at Dontogan barangay – P1 million.
The local government was also able to earmark some P39.9 million from the local DRRM fund for the thematic area on preparedness, P30.5 million for the thematic area on response and P1.3.2 million for recovery and rehabilitation.
Clemente pointed out the priority programs, projects and activities in the 2019 annual investment plan would take the initiative of the barangays or offices concerned to request for project validation, preparation of programs of work and the preparation of purchase requests and obligation requests as requisites for publication and conduct of bidding by the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) for infrastructure and goods and services.
She revealed that other development projects that would required the preparation of a detailed project proposal shall be the sole responsibility of the implementing local government departments following the usual procedures prior to implementation of the projects.
Clemente asserted the implementation of the programs, projects and activities will be supervised by the implementing departments of the City Engineering Office, City Buildings and Architecture Office, City Environment and Parks Management Office while non-infrastructure projects by the departments concerned, but all of the same are to be monitored by the City Project Monitoring Committee.
By Dexter A. See
