As if beating the deadline, the Provincial Board has unanimously approved last week the Annual Provincial General Fund budget to the tune of PhP1,145,203,986.00 for 2010 without objection and after several days of budget hearings. Vice-Gov. Julius Herrera, presiding officer of the board banged the gavel for giving the nod to Gov. Erico Aumentado's administration proposed annual budget during the December 22, 2009 regular session he presided over. Those who attended the last session of the year included Board Members Jose Veloso, Amalia Tirol, Ester Corazon Galbreath, Atty. Aster Piollo, Josil TRabajo, Alfonso Damalerio II, Josephine Socorro Jumamoy, Dr. Beinvenido Molina, Cesar Tomas Lopez and Concepcion O. Lim, president of the provincial Liga ng mga Barangay. Tirol , as vice-person of appropriations committee, took the floor during the plenary session to render the report of the committee containing the annual budget.

Under the Local Government Code, the provincial board or the Sangguniang Panlalawigan is authorized to review the said proposed annual budget prior to spending and implementation of programs, projects and activities being lined up for the given year or period. Capitol officials has increased the annual outlay to about 9% from this year's fund in the amount of PhP1,039,024,761.66, based on the comparative estimate submitted by the Provincial Budget and Management Office. The biggest source of income, just like any other local government unit relies on, is the Internal Revenue Allotment from national government to the tune of PhP1,015,228,393.00 or about 88% of the total budget. Other sources of income include tax revenues in the total amount of PhP40,000,000.00 or 3%; Operating and Miscellaneous Revenues, PhP77,075,594.00 or 7%; Extra-ordinary receipts, PhP10,400,000.00 or 1%; undefined Other receipts, PhP2 million; and External Source (PCSO/Lotto Share), PhP500,000.00. Personal services (salaries, wages) got the lion's share in the amount of PhP413,658,445.00 of the budget pie. This is followed by an item called Budgetary Requirements to the tune of PhP295,074,675.00; Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses or MOOE, PhP290,198,254.00; Non-Office and Other Special Purpose, PhP128,143,262.00; and capital outlay, PhP18,219,350.00.

Target sectors to benefit from the budget are the general public sector with the amount of PhP320,125,371.00; social services, PhP254,406,749.00; economic services, PhP147,453,929.00; development projects, PhP203,045,679.00; Reserve (calamity fund), P54,866,420.00; aid to barangay at P10,000 each, PhP11,090,000.00; Payment of Loans, PhP31,617,576.00; and Non-office, PhP128,143,262.00. The SP also adopted the 20% Development Fund in the amount of PhP203,045,679.00 submitted by the Local Finance Committee. The list of programs and projects to be funded by the 20% Development Fund includes the priority projects for the year 2010. These are Barangay Road development in the amount of P10 million; Jatropha for biodiesel and organic fertilizer production, P1.5 million; Dairy production support fund for malnourished children, P1 million; Coconut hybridization, P2 million; Backyard gardening seeds, P1 million; Poverty Reduction/mushroom development, 1.5 million; anti-rabies control program, P1,450,000.00; and Kauban sa Reporma Kalayaan Resettlement, Danao, Boho, P500,000.00.

Budget Message

In his budget message to the provincial board, Aumentado stressed that the provincial government, under the proposed budget, expects to achieve its “millennium goal of reducing poverty incidence to 23% by 2015.” He said that the budget as proposed will provide the greater majority of the Boholano people “more access to all basic needs and services” while improving the organizational performance and human resource capabilities to deliver public services.  “This budget proposal manifest our determination to again lay a strong foundation for a greater and progressive province,” hence, a concerted effort to provide the people of the “same brand of exemplary public service that they deserve, he said. (RVO)