DBM cracks whip on Capitol anew but…
P55M health workers pay, P1.1M casual ‘lumpsum’ disallowed
Three more Capitol planned disbursements have been disallowed by the Department of Budget of Management (DBM) with the appropriation declared “inoperative in part.”
The total amount involved is over P59 million with the bulk of said Capitol expenditure set to be given to Iloilo’s health workers.
Dated March 20, 2009, members of the 9th Iloilo Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) were informed of the DBM decision as coursed through Governor Niel Tupas.
The latest questioned planned expenditures were part and parcel of Appropriation Ordinance (AO) No. 2008-05 or the 2009 Annual Budget of the Province of Iloilo.
Total appropriation was set at P1,180,153,862. Thus, while it is over P59 million in bad news, the DBM ruling for the most part is also “good news” for the Capitol.
The DBM said there was “substantial compliance” from the Provincial Government on the passage of AO No. 2008-05 with exception of the three appropriations.
First to be disallowed was the P55 million appropriation for a new item, the Magna Carta for Health Workers or hazard pay.
“...the Code, provides among others, that the local sanggunian may not include new items except to provide for statutory and contractual obligations but in no case shall it exceed the total appropriation in the executive budget,” excerpts of the DBM notification went. “…the Magna Carta benefits of Public Health Workers are categorized as Authorized Allowances/Benefits. Therefore, the said new item of appropriation may not be allowed.”
Further disallowed was over P1.1 million in proposed increase in the lump-sum of Capitol casuals. Dis-allowed further was nearly P1 million in appropriation for the creation of non-mandatory positions.