Naga budget office to propose P1.6 B for 2021

By Jason B. Neola

The Naga City Budget Office (NCBO) said that it is likely to endorse for Sangguniang Panlungsod approval an annual budget of P1.6 billion for year 2022, P200 million higher than last year approved budget of P1.4 billion.

NCBO chief Francisco M. Mendoza said that at moment all the departments and offices of the city government are presenting their individual budget proposals to the public via zoom with the members of the Naga City People’s Council (NCPC) and other representatives of different sectors in the city. It can also be seen in the Naga City government Facebook page.

He said the public presentation of budgets serves as a facility for the local government’s offices and departments to inform the people of their priority goals in the coming year and report how they dealt with their respective financial plans and finances in previous year.

Mendoza’s office plans to submit the city’s proposed annual budget to the city council for approval in October 2021.

Mendoza, who also serves as city administrator, said that it is presumed that the primordial thrust of the city next year will again be the sound management of Covid-19 responses.

SCHOOL BUILDING This is the 2-storey 8-classroom building in Yabu Elementary School in Barangay Carolina while on-going construction in May 2021. The construction of this LGU-funded edifice was among the many infrastructure projects undertaken with skilled and non-skilled Nagueño workers whom the city government wishes to provide with long-term benefits in this time of pandemic thru its long-term development projects. CEPPIO

“Aside from that, we also aim to continue to undertake interventions that seek to revive the local economy,” he said.

He said the city’s Community Employment Program (CEP) is among those that can expect a bigger budget next year along with the Business Stimulus Program and Tabang Tugang.

CEP provides short-term 10-day community work at minimum wage to those who were displaced from their jobs due to the pandemic, while the Business Stimulus Program provides interest-free loan to various types of businesses similar to the Tabang Tugang. The latter aims provide displaced workers with zero-interest loans to be able to establish online and offline livelihood ventures.

Mendoza also bared that the city government is also planning to hire more skilled and non-skilled Nagueño workers for its long-term projects like the construction of new roads, establishment of new development areas, construction of new hospital, and other development works to be able to provide them with long-term benefits and bigger incomes.

In a separate interview, City Engineer Alexander Caning said that the city government was able to generate more than 13,000 construction jobs due to its various infrastructure projects. He said these projects were undertaken with workers who are residents of the city.

Expected to get bigger allocations in the 2022 annual budget are programs on social welfare, nutrition, scholarship, medical assistance, and other forms of services for the benefit of the Naga City residents.