THE City Development Council (CDC) in its meeting last July 5 approved next year’s Annual Investment Program (AIP) to the tune of P2.8 billion, the biggest amount passed in Ormoc’s history. The amount is 194% more than the AIP passed last year (supplemental budget excluded). The AIP comes from 20% of the city’s development fund.
Mayor Eric C. Codilla who chairs the CDC justifies the huge amount to the rising needs of a growing city. This year’s P958,412,000 AIP wasn’t enough that the CDC had to pass a supplemental budget of P963,458.60. This means this year’s AIP (including the supplemental budget) stands at P1,921,870,960.
With almost P3 billion AIP for next year, there will no longer be a need for a supplemental budget, thereby expediting the completion of projects. Mayor Codilla assures that the local government unit (LGU) can afford the amount, citing the P250 million collection made by the City Treasurer’s Office. The figure doesn’t even include the P100 million collected from Energy Development Corp.
Mayor Codilla reported that this year’s AIP is well spent as can be seen in the ongoing road works in interior barangays like RM Tan, Leondoni, Manlilinao, Licuma, Guintigui-an, San Jose, Monterico, etc. He also assured that next year’s AIP will be utilized based on the standards set by the Budget Department.
Aside from funding the city’s numerous infrastructure projects, Mayor Codilla said a bigger AIP will also finance socio-economic programs, this time covering a wider scope. For example, a new item in next year’s AIP is the Indigent Program Medicare Para sa Masa with an allocation of P3,056,700.
Introduced by Councilor Rafael Omega, chairman of the committee on health, the program is a city-funded insurance system that will do away with sponsoring premiums for Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) which costs P1,200-2,400 per indigent family.
The local government unit (LGU) realized that enrolling indigent families to PhilHealth is a losing proposition considering only a few of them get sick within the covered period and avail of the benefits. What the LGU will do instead is to issue insurance cards which indigents can use to avail services at the city hospital when they get sick. In this manner, only when they actually get sick will the LGU spend money on them. There are about 20,000 indigent families in Ormoc.
The Office of Senior Citizens Affairs will be allotted P3,263,381.60, 50% more than this year’s P2,175,160 to finance new programs introduced by Councilor Lea Doris Capuyan-Villar who chairs the social welfare committee. Among these are the granting of P500 Christmas cash gift to indigent senior citizens who don’t receive any pension and cash incentives to the elderly who turn 80 years of age.
The health services for indigents and incentives for the elderly are just some of the new programs to be implemented with a bigger AIP. Mayor Codilla assures that the LGU continue to provide the best services possible even without raising taxes and introducing new tax measures.
(West Leyte Weekly Express issue of July 9-12, 2012)
Mayor Eric C. Codilla who chairs the CDC justifies the huge amount to the rising needs of a growing city. This year’s P958,412,000 AIP wasn’t enough that the CDC had to pass a supplemental budget of P963,458.60. This means this year’s AIP (including the supplemental budget) stands at P1,921,870,960.
With almost P3 billion AIP for next year, there will no longer be a need for a supplemental budget, thereby expediting the completion of projects. Mayor Codilla assures that the local government unit (LGU) can afford the amount, citing the P250 million collection made by the City Treasurer’s Office. The figure doesn’t even include the P100 million collected from Energy Development Corp.
Mayor Codilla reported that this year’s AIP is well spent as can be seen in the ongoing road works in interior barangays like RM Tan, Leondoni, Manlilinao, Licuma, Guintigui-an, San Jose, Monterico, etc. He also assured that next year’s AIP will be utilized based on the standards set by the Budget Department.
Aside from funding the city’s numerous infrastructure projects, Mayor Codilla said a bigger AIP will also finance socio-economic programs, this time covering a wider scope. For example, a new item in next year’s AIP is the Indigent Program Medicare Para sa Masa with an allocation of P3,056,700.
Introduced by Councilor Rafael Omega, chairman of the committee on health, the program is a city-funded insurance system that will do away with sponsoring premiums for Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) which costs P1,200-2,400 per indigent family.
The local government unit (LGU) realized that enrolling indigent families to PhilHealth is a losing proposition considering only a few of them get sick within the covered period and avail of the benefits. What the LGU will do instead is to issue insurance cards which indigents can use to avail services at the city hospital when they get sick. In this manner, only when they actually get sick will the LGU spend money on them. There are about 20,000 indigent families in Ormoc.
The Office of Senior Citizens Affairs will be allotted P3,263,381.60, 50% more than this year’s P2,175,160 to finance new programs introduced by Councilor Lea Doris Capuyan-Villar who chairs the social welfare committee. Among these are the granting of P500 Christmas cash gift to indigent senior citizens who don’t receive any pension and cash incentives to the elderly who turn 80 years of age.
The health services for indigents and incentives for the elderly are just some of the new programs to be implemented with a bigger AIP. Mayor Codilla assures that the LGU continue to provide the best services possible even without raising taxes and introducing new tax measures.
(West Leyte Weekly Express issue of July 9-12, 2012)
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