Thursday, December 04, 2008 PB okays P1B Negros Oriental's 2009 budget By Victor L. Camion
THE Provincial Board of Negros Oriental has approved the more than P1 billion budget for 2009.
The members of the PB, in a special session Wednesday afternoon, unanimously approved in third and final reading the 2009 budget which amounted to P1,082,591,823.
Bulk of the budget goes to health, nutrition and population control.
Governor Emilio Macias II, a doctor by profession, allotted more than P422 million for health, nutrition and population control. More than P358 million for economic services that include agriculture, veterinary, natural resources preservation, livelihood, projects to lower the cost of electricity, public utilities and barangay aid.
The governor also allotted more than P80 million for education, culture and arts including the budgetary reserve.
The province allotted 46.65 percent of the 2009 budget for social services and also approved the governor's request to allocate almost P165 million for the general services sector and more than P54 million for debt services including amortization of a P62-million loan for 52 school buildings.
Source of fund
The Provincial Government of Negros Oriental still relies heavily on the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA).
For the 2009 budget, the province's IRA amounts to almost P833 million and is the biggest fund source.
The IRA comprises 76.93 percent of the total income of the province.
It is followed by hospital income that amounts to more than P105 million.
Aside from the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital (NOPH) in Dumaguete City, the province also runs five districts hospitals, five community hospitals and five primary hospitals.
The third biggest source is the share from the national wealth, which amounts to P40 million.
The province also earns from permits, licenses, services and its drug rehabilitation center.
Goals
Negros Oriental's second priority is agriculture taking 33 percent of the budget pie.
Macias expects to improve the province's food security program through agricultural productivity, livelihood and relevant education.
He also expects improvements in the health of Negrenses as well as peace and order in the community, better access to information, and spiritual formation.
