• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Occidental is proposing an P8.52-billion General Fund budget for 2027, or P900.09 million higher than this year’s P7.618-billion budget.
The increase comes as the provincial government strengthens programs in agriculture, health, infrastructure and other priority sectors.
The proposed budget represents an 11.81 percent increase over the 2026 appropriation and will support the provincial government’s Abanse Negrense Priority Development Agenda.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, through Provincial Budget Officer Gemma Flores, submitted the proposed annual budget to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for deliberation during its regular session on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
Of the total, P8.203 billion is allocated for the General Fund Proper while P315.55 million is earmarked for the Economic Enterprise Development Department, a special account under the General Fund.
Lacson said the spending plan reflects the provincial government’s commitment to responsible governance and prudent use of public resources amid increasing government responsibilities and the continuing needs of Negrenses.
The 2027 budget will finance programs under the province’s seven-point development agenda, covering agriculture and food security; infrastructure; economic growth, trade, investment and employment; public health; environmental management and tourism; education, culture, sports and information and communications technology; and good governance and human development.
Lacson said the spending priorities will remain aligned with Abanse Negrense.
Among the proposed initiatives is continued support for biological control measures against the red-striped soft scale insect infestation, which has affected sugarcane farms in Negros Occidental.
The province’s 2026 budget of P7.618 billion was itself 17.98 percent, or about P1.16 billion, higher than the P6.457-billion budget in 2025. | GPB
