By Dale G. Israel
Cebu Daily News First Posted 09:25:00 11/02/2009
Filed Under: State Budget & Taxes, Health
In what is to be his last annual budget proposal as chief executive of Lapu-Lapu City, Mayor Arturo Radaza has outlined a P904.47-million budget for 2010.
Radaza, who are among those aiming to be the city's first congressman in the 2010 elections, focused his proposed budget on health services, salaries for job order employees, and construction or improvement of roads around Mactan Island.
The budget proposal, which was submitted to the City Council last Wednesday, allocates P91.5 million to finance various road projects, while budget for the city hospital and other health services is pegged at least P104.752 million.
Items that may be used to pay for the salaries of job order employees were pegged at around P100 million.
The City Council referred the budget proposal to its committee on appropriations, headed by Councilor Damian Gomez.
Attached to the budget proposal was an Annual Investment Plan (AIP), wherein development projects are itemized.
A large chunk of the projects outlined in the AIP are allocated to various road projects and related work. These include P20 million for development of road networks, lot, P15 million for lot acquisition and widening of the Washington and General Aviation Road towards the Marigondon beach, P19.5 million for lot acquisition and opening of new routes to link “strategic sites” in the city, and P450,000 for road improvement and asphalt paving of the street leading to the Home Care Center for Children.
The Home Care Center for Children is a project being pushed by First Lady Paz Radaza, who will be running for mayor to succeed her husband, who is on his last consecutive term as the city's chief executive. Paz is the chairperson of the local women and children council of Lapu-Lapu City.
In the budget’s General Fund, the mayor also allocated funds for road development. These included a P37-million item that was tagged as funds for “Street Lighting.”
Still in the AIP, Radaza earmarked a significant amount for health services. Around P2.5 million was allocated for the repair of the Lapu-Lapu City Hospital, administration of which was recently turned over to the city from the Cebu provincial government. Also in the AIP were items setting aside P500,000 for the purchase of drugs and chemicals against tuberculosis, P500,000 for treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, P1 million for anti-dengue chemicals, and P1 million in supplies towards reproductive health.
The Lapu-Lapu City Hospital, which has a special budget account, was allocated P37.94 million. The Santa Rosa Hospital in Olango Island, also a special budget account, was allocated P7.42 million for its 2010 operations.
The proposed budget also has various items totaling P100 million that may be tapped to pay for job order employees,
These items classified as “Non-Office” include P59.39 million in miscellaneous subsidies for hospitals and health centers, P7.7 million for sanitary services and street cleaning, P37 million for street lighting; and P8.8 million for community development and beautification.
