The province of Iloilo’s 2020 budget, amounting to more than P4 billion, has been approved by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP).
Appropriation Ordinance 2019-07, which sets the budget of the province for next year, hurdled the third and final reading on Dec. 10.
The bulk of the approved budget, or P3.29 billion, was allocated to the General Fund, and P1.060 billion to the Local Economic Enterprise (LEE).
The amounts were higher compared to this year’s allocations. The General fund went up by 9.32 percent (P282.417 million) while the LEE increased by 19.74 percent (P209.425 million).
Of the General Fund, P917 million went to general public services, P482 million to economic services, P469 million to social services, and 1.16 billion to the special purpose appropriations.
General public services cover “programs that promote order and public safety, and for the judiciary, administrative overhead and regulatory functions of the province.”
Economic services cover “agricultural, veterinary, natural resources, engineering, and tourism services, among others.”
Social services are for “marginalized sectors”, while the special purpose appropriations are for “the 20-percent development projects, five-percent disaster fund, aid to barangays, terminal leave benefits, and local economic enterprise advances.”
The LEE, on the other hand, covers expenses outside those being charged under the General Fund. It is sourced from collections and service incomes of 11 district hospitals and one provincial hospital.
Vice Governor Christine Garin was “very glad” that the 2020 budget was approved this month.
The appropriation ordinance was forwarded by Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. to the SP last October.IMT
