Mindanaotoday.com | Oro lawmakers okay P11.2-B 2024 budget
By: Uriel Quilinguing
The legislative body has approved in principle on Tuesday, November 7, Cagayan de Oro city government’s P11.2-billion budget next year during an executive budget hearing at the Mallberry Business Suites.
Fourteen of 18 members of the 20th City Council, who convened as a committee of the whole, deliberated and voted in favor of the proposed 2024 budget that includes P2.9-billion for the construction of a new City Hall and eco-park development project. Four members abstained.
City Vice Mayor Jocelyn Rodriguez presided the budget hearing that was participated in by department managers and heads of offices at City Hall. With her on the panel were City Councilors Edgar Cabanlas (majority leader), James Judith (minority leader), and Yan Lam Lim (Association of Barangay Councils).
Councilor Jose Pepe Abbu Jr., one of the four City Council members who abstained, said he earlier opposed the inclusion of the P2.9-billion for the new City Hall construction in next year’s budget because it is not a priority at the moment.
The other three who opted not to vote were Councilors Christian Rustico Achas, Yevonna Yacine Emano, and Agapito Eriberto Suan.
As proposed, the new City Hall with an eco-park will be developed and constructed at Upper Dagong of Barangay Carmen. The estimated funding requirement of P2.9 billion would be sourced from a loan with the City Mayor, as authorized by the City Council,
During the hearing, Acting City Budget Officer Roxanne Ravidas said that about P10.36 billion of the 2024 budget will be generated from external and local revenue sources, the biggest chunk of which, about P8.3 billion would be for city government’s programs and operational expenditures.
“The crafting of the 2024 budget is guided by the RISE development and governance agenda of the (Mayor Rolando) ‘Klarex’ (Uy’s) administration,” Ravidas said and that P44.36 percent or P4.96 billion would be to bolster the city’s income or revenue generating capacity.
She said that P3.6 billion out of the P4.96 billion will fund City Hall’s infrastructure programs, including the proposed new City Hall, eco-tourism site (P2.7 billion) and road widening and opening (P370 million). About P209.5 million will be budgeted for flood mitigation and bank protection structures.
City Hall also set aside P3.397 billion or 30.34 percent of the P11.2 billion budget for social services which will fund the city’s health, nutrition and hospital services while P2.83 billion will be allocated for programs on peace and order and public safety, among others.
Ravidas said the P11.2 billion budget for 2024 is P3.4 billion more than the P7.8 billion budget set aside for the city in 2023.
“But inclusive in that P3.4 billion increase is the P2.7 billion local borrowings we proposed to the City Council. So in effect, our net increase in our operational expenses is P700 million which amounts to an 8.97 percent increase from last year’s budget,” she said.
The 2024 budget is set for approval by the City Council in a plenary on Monday, November 3, in a regular session.
“The budget is approved and Monday’s session is but a formality,” Cabanlas, who also chair the Council’s laws and rules committee, said. – With reports from Stephen Capillas of the City Information Office
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