TARLAC CITY, Tarlac (August 12, 2024) — The continued delay in the approval of the Supplemental Budget No. 1 (SB1) by the city council here has been met with online criticisms, presumably from supporters of the local chief executive and online trolls.
These, however, have not deterred councilors Emy Ladera-Facunla and Vladimir Rodriguez from scrutinizing the additional budget request by Mayor Cristy Angeles.
In what has been months-long deliberations and scrutiny of the proposed supplemental budget of Angeles, Ladera-Facunla said that they are just exercising due diligence.
“Gusto naming maging metikuloso dahil pera ito ng bayan. Dapat gawin namin kung ano ang tama. Hindi kailangang manalo (sa susunod na halalan) at di bale na kung ano na ang ang mangyari sa pera ng bayan,” Ladera-Facunla said.
On April 1, 2024, Angeles already asked the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) to “enact an appropriation ordinance authorizing Supplemental Budget No. 1 FY 2024.”
“First day of the second quarter pa lang ay naipadala na agad ang supplemental budget request sa amin kaya kailangang pag-aralan ito. Bakit nagkulang ang budget (para sa 2024) na dapat napag-aralan na (nila)?” Rodriguez said.
What strikes the SP are the amounts in the budget requested, some of which exceed the appropriated 2024 budget by as much as 50%-500%.
The approved budget for Healthcare Program/TB and Dialysis for 2024 is P11 million and the additional budget requested is P20 million, a 180% increase.
For BHW Kits, 2024 was budgeted P1 million, the supplemental budget asks for P5 million, a 500% increase.
“Prizes” was budgeted P500,000, and the city mayor is asking for an additional P2 million – a 400% increase.
Repairs and Maintenance for Heavy Equipment were budgeted P22.5 million, and another P20 million is being requested, an 89% addition, while Repairs and Maintenance for Motor Vehicles of P17.9 million, additional P20 million is being sought, a 111% increase.
“Ang supplemental is enacted para sa mga unforeseen events, barangay projects at additional sa MOOE (Maintenance and Other perating Expenses). Backup lamang ito dapat based sa previous years na mayroong formula,” Ladera-Facunla pointed out.
“Nagulat kami dahil sobrang laki ng dagdag – From 50 to 500 percent. Gusto naming maging metikuloso dahil pera ito ng bayan. Dapat gawin namin kung ano ang tama. Hindi kailangang manalo (sa susunod na halalan) at di bale na kung ano na ang ang mangyari sa pera ng bayan,” Ladera-Facunla stressed.
Other questionable items in the supplemental budget include a 166% (P5 million) addition in “Assistive Devices” on top of the 123% (P15 million) being asked under IT Equipment. Furniture and Fixtures budgeted for 2024 P5.25 million and now requesting an additional P10 million.
“Hindi kami papaapekto sa mga batikos nila. Doon lamang kami sa tama. Right cannot be wrong,” Ladera-Facunla said.
According to a Tarlakenyo source, the SB1 will not be approved in its present form.
“A lot of the items will have to be pared down because of the ridiculous amounts,” the source said.
A copy of the Supplemental Budget No. 1, with annotations, can be found here. with a report from Tarlac Weekender
