| Taguig
City Council Approves "People's Budget" for 2011
December 9,
2010
As funding
for public service now safe and assured, Taguig City
Mayor Maria Laarni "Lani" Cayetano expressed her heartfelt
thanks and appreciation to the Almighty God and the
City Council for the passage of what she dubbed as
the "People's Budget" of the city government.
According to
Atty. Darwin Bernabe Icay, Mayor Lani's spokesperson,
passing the budget is quite vital and as such the
mayor wholeheartedly thanked all those who support
it.
Icay said that
the P3.7 billion 2011 budget allocation has been called
the "People's" and the "Reform Budget" since it makes
a huge "investment" in human capital or for the development
of each Taguigeņo.
Examples of
such investment is the P100 million allocated for
scholarships; P125 million for Taguig city hospital;
P125 million for Taguig City University; P570 million
for various infrastructure projects (a second hospital
for district 1, health centers, school buildings,
daycare centers, sport centers and roads) and P75
million for medicine).
Mayor Lani
particularly lauded the councilors who despite coming
from another political party set aside their differences
and prioritized the welfare of their constituents,
Icay added. The councilors who supported the budget
are AP Bartolome, Erwin Manalili, Jimmy Labampa, Gigi
Valenzuela, Jojo Geron, Gamie San Pedro, Carlito Ogalinola,
Rick Jordan and ABC President Ding Dong Santos.
Icay pointed
out that the new budget will enforce sweeping reforms
as Mayor Lani cut the expenditures on controversial
contracts concerning Garbage Hauling, Information
Technology Services and Integrated Security Services
while investment spending for people and infrastructure
was raised. The lion's share of the budget has been
allocated for public service.
"In her desire
to enforce reforms and improve public service in Taguig
City, Mayor Lani took off a good chunk from the budget
of the office of the mayor. From P676,406,651 in 2010
during the time of ex-mayor Tiņga, the mayor's office
budget for 2011 is P443,906,304, a difference of P232,500,347.
Mayor Lani had the difference in budget transfused
to front line services and infrastructure.
Social Services
got allotted P894,212,331 for 2011 from a previous
2010 budget of P634,253,920.38 or an increase of P259,960,410.62
pesos or 40.99 percent. Economic services increased
by 35.57 percent from P607,408,057.34 to P823,451,202
or an increase of P216,043,144.56.
From a mere
P5 million, budget for scholarship is now P100 million.
Financial assistance for Polytechnic University of
the Philippines was raised from P650,000 to P2.65
million. Meanwhile, the Technological University of
the Philippines, which received zero assistance in
2010, will be given P2 million for 2011.
Taguig City
University's budget swelled to P125 million from the
customary P50 million. Another P125 million was allocated
to Taguig City Hospital Budget for 2011. Mayor Lani
will also have a new hospital built with an initial
allocation of P50 million. From P28 million, budget
for medicine is now P75 million.
As for gender
and development, its budget climbed from P15 million
to P75 million. For capital outlay and various projects
(infrastructure, equipment, repair and maintenance),
its budget for 2011 is P570,000,000.
It should also
be noted that controversial expenditures prone to
graft and corruption like Integrated Environmental
Services trimmed down by P100 million pesos.
In conclusion,
Icay said that the year 2011 will be vital since it
will mark the beginning of a new chapter in the history
of Taguig. It is expected that starting 2011, the
projects and programs that aim to improve the quality
of life among Taguigeņos will see full implementation.
This is despite all the attempts to sabotage Mayor
Lani's administration by people who have a penchant
for bad politics.
"In 2010, Taguig
saw the ugly face of sabotage, traditional politics
and perceived triumph of partisan politics. We are
thankful that before 2010 ends, Mayor Lani's Administration
received the support of the majority of the city council,
majority of both the barangay chairpersons and the
S.K Chairpersons.
Mayor Lani's
brand of public service will not be halted even if
the previous budget of the local government was nearly
sucked dry, coupled with the sabotaging of the new
administration via the midnight donation of 300 vehicles,
computers, chairs, emergency lights, cctv, monitors,
etc. There will be no stopping the launch of new programs
from the Cayetano administration in the field of education,
health, livelihood, business and peace and order.
Although the
previous administration left a debt of P1.2 billion,
this did not prevent the huge allocation for services
that will be felt directly by residents of Taguig
City.
2011 will be
a banner year for Mayor Lani and her administration.
With majority support from councilors and barangay
and S.K. chairpersons, expect meaningful reforms in
the area of social services, peace and order, infrastructure,
and positive business climate.
The LORD loves
the people of Taguig. We Taguigenos should Love Taguig!
And In Loving GOD and Our City, The administration
of Mayor Lani will redefine Taguig in terms of being
the best place to live in and do business in".
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