2019 ANNUAL BUDGET

MAYOR Belen Fernandez has proposed for consideration by the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) an annual budget of P1.01 billion for Dagupan City for Calendar Year 2019, making Dagupan as the first city in Region 1 to break into the one billion peso mark in annual budget and income.

The proposal was adopted by Councilor Jeslito Seen, chairman of the committee on finance and appropriation when he proposed Draft Ordinance No. 606 that was calendared for first reading during the SP’s Oct. 22 regular session.

At P1.01 billion, it will be the biggest budget of Dagupan ever in history, surpassing the 2018’s P868-million annual budget by P132 million.

Consistent with her proposed P1.01 billion annual budget for next year, Mayor Fernandez also submitted an annual Investment Program of Dagupan for CY 2018 in the amount of P1,440,448,000, which was defended by members of the City’s Finance Committee during the Oct. 23 hearing.

Seen said the proposed P1.01 billion is attainable since the income of Dagupan City from all sources of revenues have increased this year and the city has fully paid its P250 million loan with the Land Bank of the Philippines for the Malimgas Public Market.

That loan was obtained during the administration of then Mayor Benjamin Lim in 2004.

The proposed P1.01 billion annual budget is broken down into General Public Services, P366,421.887; Social Services, P311,650,180; Economic Services, P205.683,785; and Other Services, P136,244,146.

Seen also foresees increased Internal Revenue Allotment share of the city government owing to aggressive collection of real estate taxes and taxes from news businesses established in the city.

He also told newsmen that next year’s budget will adopt the cash-based budgeting ordered by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) which is different from the Bottoms Up Budgeting (BUB) adopted by the Aquino government.

Cash-based budgeting means what will be appropriated for CY 2019, will all be spent and utilized in 2019, he said.

He explained that once the budget is approved, the bidding of approved projects can be started in January. (Leonardo Micua)

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