By Paulo Loreto Lim

The Negros Occidental Provincial Board will be conducting hearings later this month on the proposed 2018 budget submitted by Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr., valued at just over P3.5 billion, a 12.45 percent increase from the prior year.

Hearings are scheduled to run from November 20 to 23.

The majority of the funding stems from the provincial government anticipating over P3 billion in their internal revenue allotment, which is the province’s share of national tax revenue as determined by the national government.

They are also expecting P308 million in revenue from the Hospital Operations Department (HOD) to fund the 2018 budget; however, P1.456 billion will be reportedly set aside for HOD in the subsequent year, nearly five times the amount of its recorded revenue.

Earlier this month, the Bacolod City Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) passed on its first reading the proposed P2.25 billion city budget for 2018.

The proposed budget is higher than the prior year’s allotment, which was P2 billion.

According to City Councilor Caesar Distrito, half of the amount will be allocated for maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE), with nearly P630 million for personnel services./PLL, WDJ