THE Cebu Provincial Board (PB) approved the 2024 proposed P23 billion annual budget on third and final reading without amendments on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023.
PB Member Glenn Anthony Soco (6th District) expressed his gratitude to the PB under the leadership of Vice Gov. Hilario Davide III.
“We met the timelines we set without any difficulty, without any amendments and the governor herself has very much involved,” Soco said in an interview after the PB’s regular session.
He said the proposed budget ordinance will be sent to the Office of the Governor for final approval and endorsed to the Department of Budget and Managment for appropriations.
Last Nov. 20, he said the proposed 2024 annual budget was about 14 percent higher than the approved 2023 annual budget of P20.15 billion.
More than half of the proposed 2024 annual budget has been earmarked for development funds, said Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia in her privilege speech before the PB’s out-of-town assembly last Nov. 20 held at the session hall of the Municipality of Tudela.
In her speech, Garcia laid out the breakdown of the budget, saying P10.52 billion (45.76 percent) would be for economic services, 10.13 billion (44.04 percent) for social services, and P2.35 billion (10.20 percent) for general public services.
Of the proposed P23 billion budget, Garcia said they allocated P12 billion for development programs/ projects. This figure is P2 billion higher than the allocation in 2023.
Priority projects
Among the priority projects under the proposed annual budget are (a) road/bridge construction, improvement andrehabilitation with an allocation of P3.5 billion, (b) water system development program (P3.3 billion), and (c) operation of hospitals and public health services at P3.83 billion.
Garcia said the Provincial Government aims to upgrade the services of the four provincial hospitals located in the cities of Danao, Carcar and Bogo, and in the town of Balamban, from Level 1 status to Level 2 status, by providing new medical equipment, supplies and additional personnel.
She also said they planned to convert the Camotes District Hospital into a provincial hospital and for the Minglanilla District Hospital to be recognized as a trauma center.
Garcia also allocated P100 million each for the Sugbo Negosyo Program, Sugbusog Program, Sugbo Kahanas Program, and Tindahan sa Kapitolyo. She also earmarked P400 million for agricultural, veterinary, and environmental facilities.