Capitol gets P3.275B for 2010 budget, AIP
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Iloilo has approved the executive budget of the province amounting to P1.584 million and the Annual Investment Program of P1.691 billion, both for 2010, during its session on Tuesday.
The committee on appropriations headed by Fourth District Board Member Hernan Biron Jr. submitted the following breakdown of the 2010 budget: personnel services, P399.334 million; maintenance and other operating expenses, P308.063 million; capital outlay, P179.792 million; 20 percent development fund, P244.369 million; 5 percent calamity fund, P68.507 million; aid to barangays, P1.721 million; aid to Commission on Elections, P1.5 million; loan amortization, P20 million; and hospital operations and health facilities, P361.089 million.
The budget includes the first tranche of salary increase for all provincial government employees based on the Salary Standardization Law retroactive to January this year.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Board held in abeyance the full implementation of the hazard pay, subsistence, and laundry allowance to all health workers amounting to P49.629 million pending the submission and approval of the compromise agreement between the Iloilo Health Workers Association Inc. and the provincial government.
The appropriations committee recommended that the amount will only be released upon the resolution of the case with finality, ordering for the full payment.
Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. had earlier said efforts to have the IHWA board accept the compromise agreement was futile although 72 percent or majority of the health workers signed in favor of the deal.
Despite the failure of the compromise agreement, Defensor said he instructed the SP not to delete the appropriation intended for the health workers to show to them that he is serious with his proposal.*
