DBM rejects Dagupan 2011 budget
THE 2011 budget of Dagupan was not approved and returned to the city government by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for its failure to incorporate, among other things, the city’s Gender-Responsive Medium-Term Plan and the Annual Gender and Development (GAD) Plan for the year.
Councilor Maybelyn De la Cruz-Fernandez, in a privilege speech before the council last week, said the GAD Plan is required under the Magna Carta of Women and other related laws.
Fernandez noted that the rejection of the budget was due to the city hall’s failure to include the plans as required by DBM including absence of provision for the Annual Disaster Risk Reduction Management Plan.
In response, the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) passed a resolution on Aug. 22 reminding Mayor Benjamin Lim to comply and submit copies of the GAD Plan for appropriate legislative action.
Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, chair of the SP, said the city administration under Lim has yet to submit the Comprehensive Development Plan, including the Annual Investment Plan for 2011, despite the SP’s enactment of the 2011 budget.
“Simply said, before the Sanggunian can approve the annual budget, there is a need to have an Annual Investment Plan and before the Sanggunian can approve the AIP, it must have a GAD Plan,” the councilor said.
The Magna Carta of Women mandates all local government units to allocate 5% of the annual budget to the GAD program, which addresses concerns on gender equality and promotes the welfare of women.
Unless the Comprehensive Development Plan and AIP are submitted and reviewed by the SP, no development project could be legally undertaken.
It was learned that the mayor, following the privilege speech of Councilor Fernandez, called the city’s barangay chairmen to a meeting last Friday to finally discuss the AIP.
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