• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Negros Occidental approved the P7.618- billion annual budget of the province for 2026 during its regular session yesterday.
The approval was well within the first week of December target set by presiding officer Vice Governor Jose Benito Alonso.
On the motion of First District Board Member Marxlen de la Cruz, who led the marathon budget deliberations as finance committee chairman, the proposed 2026 annual budget was unanimously approved, after it was presented and approved on second reading, and eventually on third reading.
Next year’s annual budget is 17.98 percent higher from the previous year’s budget of P6.45 billion, largely due to the province’s higher National Tax Allotment and improved local revenue generation.
The proposal allocates P7.32 billion for the General Fund and P294.6 million for the Economic Enterprise Development Department.
Its increase reflects the provincial government’s intent to intensify investment in key areas such as social services, infrastructure, agriculture, health care, and disaster management.
In the aftermath of successive weather disturbances in 2024 and 2025, including the recent onslaught of Typhoon Tino, provincial officials are prioritizing post-disaster recovery, which also includes upgrading of Capitol-managed hospitals and other health facilities, which have been identified as essential components of the province’s development strategy.
Other highlights in the spending plan include continued infrastructure rollout under the Abanse Negrense development agenda and sustained support for pandemic recovery programs. | GB
