SP passes Supplemental Budget 3 in special session
THE Dagupan Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) held a special session on August 22 to fast-track the approval of Supplemental Budget No. 3-2024 amounting to P38.1 million and its accompanying Supplemental Annual Investment Program (SAIP) to fund the updated salaries of regular employees in line with a presidential executive order and for other needs of various city government offices.
However, the fate of Supplemental Budget No. 2-2024, containing a higher allocation of more than P400 million, intended to fund bigger programs and projects of the Belen Fernandez administration still hangs.
Ordinance No. 2292-2024 was moved for approval by Councilor Redford Erfe-Mejia, seconded by Councilors Alfie Fernandez and Celia Lim with the other four majority councilors — Alvin Coquia, Librada Reyna, Marilou Fernandez and Irene Acosta — as co-authors.
Funding for Supplemental Budget No. 3 will be sourced from the unappropriated balance from Supplemental Budget No. 2-2024 in the amount of P37.4 million and shares from the 2021 Excise Tax collection under Republic Act No. 8240 in the amount of P2.7 million.
Supplemental Budget No. 3 and its accompanying SAIP, earlier recommended for approval by the Local Development Council, was submitted to the SP by Mayor Belen Fernandez with an accompanying certificate of urgency read by Councilor and Minority Floor Leader Michael Fernandez in a privilege speech during the regular session of the SP on August 20, where he subsequently sought its inclusion for first reading.
In his speech, he emphasized the urgency of the measure as it will cover salary increases mandated for implementation nationwide.
This was immediately referred by Vice Mayor Bryan Kua, the SP Presiding Officer, to the Finance, Budget and Appropriations Committee headed by Erfe-Mejia, who scheduled a committee hearing on August 21.
Aside from funding employee’ additional benefits, the approved supplemental budget will bankroll projects and programs of the City Health Office, Bonuan Boquig National High School, City Agriculture Office, and City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office. (Leonardo Micua)
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