Lying-in Hospital budge realigned to pay for EWs
IT’S final!
The Maternal Child Care and Lying-in Hospital planned by the previous city administration has been permanently shelved after the Dagupan City Development Council approved the realignment of its budget to pay for other obligations, including wages of current emergency workers.
The realignment is part of the financial measures being undertaken by the administration of Mayor Belen Fernandez noting that only P2.1 million remains of what was left in the city coffers by the previous administration of former Mayor Benjamin Lim with P56 million in obligations due for the rest of the year.
The realignment also follows the enactment of a supplemental budget by the Sangguniang Panlungsod so that various obligations of the current administration can be paid.
Records show the aborted hospital was allocated P37.02 million, of which at least P30 million was supposed to come from the 20 percent development fund of the city at P10 million per year for three years beginning 2011.
The remaining P7 million came from the Department of Interior and Local Government.
Of the amount allocated, P2.5 million was already withdrawn on two occasions by the contractor A.S.S. Construction owned by Robert Sison, supposedly for mobilization costs.
The planned hospital was supposed to be built in the area to be vacated by the Juan P. Guadiz Elementary School, but the school’s relocation to another site with a new three-storey building was not approved by the Department of Education.
Meanwhile, the city engineer’s office, on order of Fernandez, is now elevating the school quadrangle that is regularly flooded whenever tidal water rises.
OTHER OBLIGATIONS
Meanwhile, Fernandez told newsmen that she has convened all department heads to a meeting and all agreed to share part of their remaining budgets to answer for some urgent obligations.
“We all need to sacrifice because of the scarce resources left to us,” Fernandez said,
At the same time, Fernandez said they have consulted with the Auditor’s Office and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) if they can also realign the remaining budget of the aborted Tsunami Hill in Barangay Pugaro that were sourced out from the calamity fund.
Fernandez is looking into the conversion of the big circular embankment built for the Tsunami Hill and funded at P6 million into a tree park as a tourist attraction in Barangay Pugaro.
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
