By Dominic B. dela Cruz
Staff reporter
Dingras, Ilocos Norte—“The earlier, the better”.
This was the statement of
Dingras vice mayor Jeffrey Saguid after the Sangguniang Bayan passed the
P101,963,867.80 2015 annual budget on Nov. 3.
The annual budget includes
the 20 percent development fund as the highest amount allocated particularly on
the economic, social and other services.
The maintenance of street
lights, water supply program, improvement and upgrading of day care centers and
the improvement of Gulayan sa Paaralan are under the social services.
Mr. Saguid also said that the
municipality also allocated an amount of P800,000 for tourism development as
one of the pet projects of Ilocos Norte Gov. Ma. Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos.
As an agricultural town and “rice
granary” of the province, the municipality also allocated P1.2 million as assistance
to farmers and about P250,000 for agrarian reforms support in the municipality.
Construction and maintenance
of local roads and bridges were also allocated with the amount of P1.2 million,
livelihood projects in the amount of P150,000 and the engineering services
particularly on infrastructure projects in the amount of P3.7 million.
The Dingras public market was
also allocated s P2.4 million loan amortization from the existing P3.5 million
yearly.
Mr. Saguid also said that the
municipality also supports the beautification, and clean and green program of
the provincial government and was given an allocation of P500,000; P1.2 million
for solid waste management program; and P800,000 assistance to affected
calamities.
Compared to this year, the
municipality has a total budget of P108 million or P7 million less because the local
income failed to meet the target collection.
Dingras mayor Erjo Valenzuela
meanwhile thanked the members of the Sangguniang Bayan for approving the proposed
annual budget for Dingras. He said he expected the budget ordinance to be
passed later but was approved ahead of his expectation.
Dingras is the first local
government unit in the province that submitted its proposed budget last year to
the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for review and final approval.
What is good, the mayor added
was the members of the Sangguniang Bayan already joined a series of budget
hearings conducted by the executive branch so that they can already ask their
questions, queries and give suggestions on the said budget to avoid any delay once
the proposed budget is submitted for approval.
Being the local chief
executive, he said he was contented with the proposed budget because it was
ironed out very well with the presence of all the concerned office heads and SB
members.
The mayor admitted that they
were too aggressive this time in looking for additional possible local sources
because if there are more collections, there would also be more services.
He said that expenditures
were controlled based on the estimated income. As such, only priority projects
were given attention in order to balance the P7 million decrease from last
year’s budget.
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