The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Victorias City in Negros Occidental approved the P851 million 2023 budget, under Appropriation Ordinance No. 03, with P826 million earmarked as general fund and P25 million for economic enterprise.
The general fund covers the expenditures for the operations of the city government for 2023, and slightly decreased from this year’s allocation of P900 million.
The health and social services got a P100 million allotment, and covers the budget for the operations of the City Health Office, City Social Welfare and Development Office, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and special services for senior citizens.
The city said that P17 million is earmarked for community development, which includes the city’s projects on housing and homesite, street lighting, and the operations of plazas and parks.
The City Disaster Risk Reduction Management and GAD (Gender and Development) Program have total appropriations of more than P41 million, and P10 million for the Educational Development Support Fund.
The 20-percent Development Fund for 2023 is P135 million, from this year’s over P157-million allocation.
“In general, the 2023 annual budget for health and social services, and community development increased while the rest had been lowered,” the city said in a statement Friday.
Through the annual budget, the administration of Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez envisions more efficient and sustainable projects for 2023, using the streamlined annual budget plan. “Since the budget was approved the earliest time possible, the City Government already set a good start,” it added.
Benitez thanked the SP members and Vice Mayor Abelardo Bantug III for acting on and approving the 2023 budget Nov. 7. This was the earliest annual budget to be approved after 16 years, the city said.
Meanwhile, Benitez and other officials led the groundbreaking for various improvement projects, all worth more than P34 million, at the Victorias Commercial Center this morning, Nov. 18, in time for its 22nd anniversary celebration.
The projects include the VCC rehabilitation, repair, improvement of the wet section, and rentable space at the Coconut section.
City officials and VCC Tenants Association president Fatima Cornel joined the groundbreaking and capsule-laying rites together with the city department heads, market tenants, vendors, and project partners and beneficiaries. ||
