JOE MENDOZA
Aurora News Desk
AURORA, ZAMBOSUR—In order not to repeat his ordeal and come across the same troubles again, Mayor Enrique Cabahug Jr. said he has already submitted the proposed annual municipal budget for 2009 last Oct. 15, 2008 to avoid delays in its enactment for General Appropriation.
Under the law, Cabahug said, local chief executives are mandated to submit the executive budget to their Sanggunians not later than the 16th day of October of the current fiscal year.
While legislative authorization of the budget will be on or before the end of the current fiscal year, the Sanggunian concerned shall enact, through an ordinance the annual budget of the LGU for the ensuing fiscal year on the basis of the estimates of income and expenditures submitted by the local chief executive, Cabahug explained.
Based on the Statement of Fund Operation (General Fund 2009), Aurora has P65,634,409.40 in resources while total expenditures reached P58,776,491.14 with an unappropriated balance of P6,857,918.26.
Also, the Statement of Fund Operation for the Economic Enterprise 2009 Fund Budget declares a P9,435,000 in total expenditures.
The economic enterprise of the LGU covered receipts from public utilities like revenues of from water system, market, slaughterhouse, swimming pool, public comfort room, rental of heavy equipment, table rental, cemetery and livestock auction fee.
Cabahug stressed that the proposed 2009 Annual Investment Plan (AIP), to be funded out of 20 percent Development Fund, has earmarked P14,938,642.40, separately endorsed by the members of Municipal Development Council during their meeting last Nov. 6, 2008 to the Sanggunian for approval; a portion of P8,000,000, which would be used for municipal streets, barangay roads, and bridges as well as Infres.
Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator Leo Acenas said during the presentation of AIP before the members of MDC that the amount of P11,586,289 includes the loan amortization of Municipal Hall, maintenance of the town’s throughfares, barangay roads, bridges including Infres loan amortization to cover payments and counterpart of the projects.
Acenas also pointed out that P700,000 is still earmarked for the acquisition of service vehicle for legislators as requested by Sanggunian, while the amount of P300,000 was set aside as counterpart for Philhealth Program for the indigents identified thru (CBMS) data.
In the proposed Statement of Fund Operation for 2009 during the budget hearing together with department heads in local, Cabahug outlined his proposals to boost the funding of pro-poor programs.
Thus the amount of P500,000 for livelihood, P250,000 for financial assistance, P300,000 for Philhealth for indigents, and P200,000 for the SPES.
For the capital outlay for beautification of playground, plazas and rotunda and the concreting of municipal streets, some P2,092,000 was allocated while P3,281,120.47 was likewise allocated for the allocation and utilization from 5 percent lump sum appropriation for calamity fund.
Cabahug said his administration have registered an amount of P65,634,409.40—the total resources available for appropriation from the current income (tax revenue) of P65,503,909.40 and receipt from operation the amount of P1,130,500.00.
Total expenditures is P58,776,491.14 with an unappropriated balance of P6,857,918.26.
“The budget is the most important piece of legislation that town council is duty bound to enact. Our people will appreciate the Sangguniang Bayan’s priority focus on the budget which is needed to bring the benefits of growth to ordinary people,” Cabahug said.