By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Bacolod City Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Finance and Appropriations has finished their four-day budget deliberations. City Councilor Cindy Rojas, who chairs the committee, said nearly all of the city’s departments received an increase in funding for 2020.
Notably, the City Health Office will be receiving P169 million in funds, Bacolod City College is earmarked for P59 million, the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office – P19.5 million, City Department of Social Services and Development – P78 million, and Bacolod City Police Office – P8 million.
The 202 budget proposal is worth P3 billion with 52 percent of the funds sourced from local taxes and the remaining 48 percent from the internal revenue allotment, or a local government unit’s share of national tax revenue.
As of press time, the committee report is still being reviewed.
Last month, Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia said, to his knowledge, the city currently has the biggest proposed budget in Western Visayas for 2020./DGB, WDJ