By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

With various departments and offices of the Negros Occidental provincial government currently preparing their proposed budgets for 2018, Acting Provincial Administrator Lucille Gelvolea affirmed there would be no reduction to individual budgets.
She noted there is no specific amount for the 2018 budget yet.
“The amount will depend on the projected revenue the province will receive,” Gelvolea explained.
However, Provincial Budget Officer Jose Percival Salado, Jr. said he is expecting a nine percent hike to the 2018 budget, as compared to last year’s P3 billion allocation.
It was earlier reported, Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr. ordered the reduction of maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) in the proposed budgets for 2018; which Gelvolea said needs to be reduced in compliance with the implementation of the salary standardization law, along with adjusting to costs associated with filling positions at provincial hospitals and increasing the personnel services budget.
Salado explained there would be no reduction to the budget, with the exception of a 23 percent cut to MOOE.
According to the budget officer, they are currently in the final stages of budget preparation, which will be presented to Marañon for discussion once completed.
If approved, the governor will endorse the budget for approval before the Provincial Board, which is expected to take place next month./WDJ