Iloilo City to craft master plan for 2018

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Various innovations are expected to be introduced into the city government’s service delivery this year to be initiated by various department heads, Iloilo City Mayor Jose Espinosa III has said.

Espinosa said on Sunday that he intends to gather department heads for a work planning to present their innovations.

“We required them to come up with a new project this year; a project, which their department has not implemented or has not thought of in several years,” he said.

They would be compelled (take actions) as their proposals would form part of the city government “master plan” for 2018, he said.

The local chief executive said the proposal should be ready within the first days of January while the budget is still new, to be able to realign the city’s budget if they any of the department needs funds.

He said that the budget for their proposed project must not be “astronomical.”

“It should not be grand but should be effective,” he added.

For 2018, the city government is working on a PHP2.212 billion budget or 10 percent than last year’s general allocation.

In a previous interview, Councilor Eduardo Peñaredondo, who chairs the Sangguniang Panlalawigan appropriations committee, said there was not much increase in the budget.

Most of the offices did not ask for increase except for those which requested for opening of new plantilla positions.

The PHP2.12 billion budget is composed of the special purpose appropriation that got the biggest chunk at PHP797.169 million followed by the personnel services at PHP718.098 million; and other operating expenses at PHP672.937 million and the capital outlay at PHP24.434 million.

Some 58.29 percent of the executive budget will come from local taxes, 41.26 percent from its Internal Revenue Allotment share; and.45 percent from the city government’s share on the Economic Zone. (By Perla Lena, PNA)

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