By CESAR JOLITO III

The Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod has unanimously approved the proposed P4.75-billion annual budget for 2026 during its regular session, marking a P300-million increase from this year’s allocation.

Councilor Jude Thaddeus Sayson, chair of the Committee on Appropriation and Finance, said the higher budget reflects the city’s stronger drive to boost revenue generation while ensuring that essential programs receive adequate funding.

The increase brings next year’s budget above the 2025 figure of P4.4 billion.

According to Sayson, key offices — including the City Mayor’s Office, health programs, the Bacolod Comprehensive Health Program (BacCHP), social services, and the Bayad Agad payment assistance program — are among the major beneficiaries of the 2026 appropriations.

He added that the council conducted extensive hearings with department heads, all of whom presented and defended their proposed budgets ahead of the budget’s approval.

Meanwhile, Mayor Greg Gasataya, who endorsed the P4.75-billion budget, emphasized that the increase remains modest because the city continues to base its annual spending plan primarily on its National Tax Allotment (NTA).

“There is an annual increase in the NTA, and as to the local sources, it’s still the same since we did not increase our taxes,” Gasataya said, noting that Bacolod’s NTA share for 2025 reached P2,244,573,982.

Gasataya said the city will prioritize strengthening the scholarship program, the full implementation of BacCHP, and coverage of mandatory expenses, ensuring that the city’s core services continue without interruption./CJ, WDJ