Garcia Outlines Approved 2025 Financial Plan
Rewritten Article:
The brand-new mayor of Cebu City, Raymond Alvin Garcia, is on a roll, delving into the nitty-gritty of the city's 2025 budget that got the green light from the City Council.
Garcia isn't holding back, crafting a letter to the Department of Budget and Management 7 (DBM 7) to plead his case for reconsidering the P79.9 million questionable items slotted in the P14.6 billion budget.
At City Hall, a swarm of reporters got an eyeful of a mountain of budget documents, causing Garcia to remark, "I'm not kidding, that stack right there? You can't whizz through that in less than a couple of days."
This troupe of papers, it seems, needs a keen eye and some serious elbow grease from the man in charge. "We're talking patience and careful scrutiny here, folks," he added.
The Council secretariat burnt the midnight oil printing these hefty documents and tossed them in front of acting mayor Donaldo Hontiveros one weekend while he was out of office. Had it not been for his brief absence, the review would've started posthaste.
Garcia posed a query to the assembled reporters, "Do you reckon you can sift through this lot in just 12 hours?"
"Scribbling your John Hancock is a breeze, but examining the budget is a whole other ball game. The ex Phys Ed teacher wanted to get it straight, "I ain't just here to sign stuff, I'm here to ensure every penny's spent wisely."
On his Facebook page, Hontiveros announced he put his signature on the budget ordinance after it had undergone a thorough review and won majority approval at a special session of the City Council.
Hontiveros also defended his move to sign the budget, stating he consulted with his legal counsel and the SP Secretariat before affixing his signature and that he followed his duties under Section 445 of the Local Government Code.
Hontiveros pointed out that many of the flagged items were part of the original proposal from the Executive Department. He added that this fact sheds light on the fact that the issues are not solely the council's doing, but also erupted from the content of the initial executive budget.
Enrichment Data:In the review of Cebu City's 2025 budget, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in Central Visayas flagged several items as inoperative. These budgetary line items totaling P79,705,000 were deemed inconsistent with the city government's Annual Investment Plan (AIP). The main reason for this inconsistency is that these line items don't align with the city's planned investments for the year.
Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia has requested reconsideration from DBM-7 for several reasons:
- Lack of Thorough Review: Garcia argues that the budget was hastily approved by Vice Mayor Donaldo Hontiveros, who was acting mayor at the time. Garcia believes this rushed approval might have led to an unthorough review of the budget.
- Procedural Concerns: Garcia questioned whether there was proper transmission of the trimmed budget ordinance, as Hontiveros signed it on a non-working day, further highlighting procedural concerns.
- Impact on City Operations: The flagged items could significantly impact city operations, as they represent a substantial portion of the budget. Garcia wishes to ensure that these funds are utilized effectively and in accordance with the city's investment plans.
Garcia plans to send a letter to DBM-7 to seek reconsideration and address these inconsistencies, aiming to rectify the situation and ensure that the city's operations are not adversely affected.
- Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia has expressed concern about the approved 2025 budget, believing it was rushed, leading to an inadequate review.
- Garcia intends to write a letter to the Department of Budget and Management 7 (DBM 7) requesting reconsideration of several questionable items in the budget.
- The budgetary line items, totaling P79.7 million, were flagged by the DBM in Central Visayas as inconsistent with the city government's Annual Investment Plan, as they don't align with planned investments.
- These inconsistencies, according to Garcia, could significantly impact city operations, and he wishes to ensure that the funds are utilized effectively and in accordance with the city's investment plans.
- Additionally, Garcia is considering it a procedural concern that the trimmed budget ordinance was signed by Vice Mayor Donaldo Hontiveros on a non-working day, raising doubts about the proper transmission of the document.
