CEBU CITY—The Cebu City government will operate in 2018 on a budget that is P1 billion lower than this year’s, based on the proposal of the city’s budget office.
City Budget Officer Marietta Gumia said her office will submit a P6.2-billion budget for the city government next year to the City Council for deliberation.
The 2018 proposed budget allocation is P1 billion lower than this year’s budget of P7.2 billion. The scaled-down budget is in line with Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s “bare bones” budgeting approach. Gumia said the complete breakdown of the budget will be furnished to the council on October 16.
Osmeña earlier said the priorities under next year’s budget will include garbage, peace and order and traffic.
In the neighboring city of Talisay, Mayor Eduardo Gullas submitted the city’s proposed 2018 budget worth P1 billion to the City Council.
The proposed budget is 25 percent higher compared to this year’s annual budget of P888 million.
Bulk of the 2018 budget will go to maintenance and operating expenses, which get a P572-million allocation.