SP Naga forms committee to help brgy prepare budget

The perennial delay in the submission of the annual budget of some barangays in Naga City prompted the Sangguniang Panglunsod (SP) to create a special committee that will assist barangay officials in the preparation of their respective budget.

In a privilege speech during SP’s session on Tuesday, Jan. 7, Councilor Ghiel ‘Oying’ G. Rosales, chairman of the committee on appropriations said that the delay in the submission of the said budget results in deferment of government projects intended for the barangay, which will then result in the barangay relying on the city government’s resources.

The SP passed and approved the resolution creating a special committee that will assist and monitor the barangay councils in the preparation of the outline and their respective annual budget, which will be reported quarterly to the city council.

Rosales said that barangays with reenacted budgets will not be able to implement infrastructure projects and receive the Seal of Good Governance given by the DILG, as this reflects bad financial management.

In his privilege speech, he also said that it is part of his obligation as appropriation committee head to assure that government funds will be put into good use thus, empowering the level of barangay ability in budget preparation.

In 2019, out of the 27 barangays in the city, only Barangay Concepcion Grande failed to submit its annual budget for consideration and approval of the SP. Under the Local Government Code, barangay councils are required to submit their proposed annual budgets to the city council on or before Oct. 31 of the current year.

As a result, the barangay council of Concepcion Grande in 2019 operated under the 2018 P10-million re-enacted budget. For 2020, it has a proposed allocation of P12 million.

The city council approved a total budget of P77,051,188.46 for the 26 barangays that submitted their budgets before the deadline last year.

For 2020, Bicol Mail learned that only the proposed budget of barangay Abella has been reviewed and forwarded to the SP for approval, while the budgets of barangays Del Rosario, Sta. Cruz, Sabang, Calauag, San Isidro and Concepcion Grande are still under review by the committee on appropriations.

During the SP regular session on Jan. 21, the body approved the 2020 budget of barangay Abella in the amount of P6,402,235.00. This is the first barangay budget approved by the city council for this year.

The appropriation body sent back the proposed budgets of Sabang and San Isidro to their respective barangay councils for correction.