Cebu Metropolis Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia has proposed a P17.9 billion price range for 2025, | CDN Picture/ Pia Piquero [FILE PHOTO]
CEBU CITY, Philippines— Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia proposed a P17.9 billion price range for 2025, a scaled-down price range in comparison with earlier years in what he known as a extra “practical” plan.
Garcia introduced throughout a press convention on October 21 that Cebu Metropolis would give attention to practical targets based mostly on its precise income capability.
The proposed price range will likely be formally introduced on the Metropolis Council session on October 23 and is predicted to be referred to the Committee on Finances and Finance, chaired by Councilor Noel Wenceslao.
“I need a practical price range og unsa ray atong makolekta, mao ra say atong igasto. Dili kay 25 or 50 bilyon ang atong bills, pero ang atong nakolekta dise-otso ra o kinse. So that is what I wish to do for subsequent yr, nga we have now a sensible price range whereby ang atong earnings ug bills magtakdo, dili nga ‘shortfall’ ang atong earnings unya sobra ang atong bills,” Garcia mentioned.
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The 2025 price range plan prioritizes a number of important companies. Personnel companies take the most important share at P2.4 billion, adopted by P1.1 billion for senior residents’ monetary assist, P400 million for barangays, P550 million for rubbish assortment and disposal, and P450 million for socialized housing.
Different allocations embrace P240 million for avenue repairs, P400 million for the Cebu Metropolis Corridor Automated Administration Program (CHAMP), and P200 million for local weather change adaptation tasks.
Well being companies and housing stay prime priorities for Garcia. He defined that, though there isn’t any extra funding for the Cebu Metropolis Medical Heart (CCMC) on this yr’s price range, his administration is counting on a partnership with the Cebu Medical Society to complete the remaining flooring of the hospital.
“Ang uban nga portion can even be from katong atong settlement with Cebu Medical Society nga sila’y mo-continue sa seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, and even eleventh flooring. So, precedence baya nako ang well being, in order that is without doubt one of the issues. Tingali mga hospital gear nalang as soon as the whole lot is completed, mao nay atong iprioritize,” he mentioned.
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The P17.9 billion price range proposal is a notable distinction from earlier price range plans.
In 2023, former Mayor Michael Rama proposed a large P100 billion price range for 2024. Of this, P77.066 billion was earmarked for capital outlays, together with flood prevention measures. Nevertheless, after thorough deliberations, the Metropolis Council lowered the proposal to P25 billion.
Rama additionally proposed a P51.4 billion price range for 2023 to fund his imaginative and prescient of reworking Cebu Metropolis right into a “Singapore-like” metropolis. But, the Fee on Audit (COA) flagged town’s earnings projections as “unrealistic,” significantly as a consequence of its heavy reliance on Actual Property Tax (RPT).
Though the 2023 price range was permitted at P50 billion, by October 2023, town’s precise assortment stood at solely P7.5 billion, nicely wanting what was wanted to assist the proposed packages.
COA’s 2023 audit flagged town’s monetary planning. It famous that the “overestimation” of income, significantly RPT created a niche between earnings projections and precise collections.
Town projected P40 billion in RPT for 2023 however managed to gather solely a bit over P1 billion. COA reported that the 2023 fiscal yr was the “most aggressive” by way of overestimated earnings projections, resulting in a mismatch between expectations and monetary realities.
With the earlier earnings shortfalls, Garcia acknowledged the necessity to align expectations with actuality. He mentioned that town had been accumulating lower than projected and expressed his objective of setting a price range that might genuinely be met reasonably than simply creating unrealistic numbers.
“I simply wish to be practical, and I wish to handle the expectations of our individuals. Atong mga Cebuano nga moingon, ‘Dako kaayo ang price range, unya wa lagi tay makit-an kaayo nga enchancment sa infrastructure o sa companies.’ That’s as a result of gamay ra kaayo atong nakolekta,” he mentioned.
Garcia is hopeful that the council will approve his proposed 2025 price range. He expressed frustration from his time as vice mayor, noting that previous budgets usually didn’t align with town’s monetary realities.
“Very a lot constructive. I believe the councilors will say, ‘Alleluia! We now have a sensible price range.’ That’s my private tackle it as a result of after I was Vice Mayor, we all the time had problem. Sus paeta, P100 billion ang gi-propose. Unsaon mani? Unrealistic man! P50 billion gi-propose. Unsaon man? Unrealistic mani! P25 billion gi-propose, lisud ba! I believe this one is a extra practical price range the place we are able to actually say that duol-duol na ni sa atong assortment,” Garcia mentioned.
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