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The Bacolod City Council approved in its third and last reading the annual budget of P2.6 billion for 2021.
Deputy Mayor El Cid Familiaran said on Thursday, December 10, that the 2021 budget was approved unanimously during the regular session on Wednesday afternoon.
He said that the 2021 budget prioritizes health services, social welfare services, public order and security, education, economic development and infrastructure, among others.
“The P2.6 billion budget was cut by P400 million or 13 percent below this year’s budget of P3 billion, with the decrease sadly due to decreased tax collection caused by the disease pandemic. of the coronavirus (Covid-19), “he said. additional.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia previously said that the city of Bacolod will slow down due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Bacolod accelerated very fast over the last few years. It took us 80 years to reach our budget of the first billion, but it only took us nine years to reach the second billion and only two years to reach the third billion. So so on. They were growing fast, but suddenly because of this pandemic, we have to slow down, “Leonardia said.
The mayor noted that this year’s P3 billion annual budget is up 19 percent over the 2018 budget, one of the highest increases in the city’s local budget history.
Leonardia said the 2021 budget will not affect funding for the City Health Office, as the health issue is now the priority due to the pandemic.
He said the city government will prioritize funding for the Covid-19 vaccine once it becomes available.
“The city is ready to reverse, realign, or increase the budget once the novel coronavirus vaccine is available. We want to make sure everyone benefits from the vaccine. We have this agreement with the city budget official that the Spending on vaccines will be the top priority. We are willing to reverse, realign and even increase the budget, “he added.
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