Provincial gov’t sets P15M for Capitol renovation 9/13/2010
By Dale G. Israel, Reporter
THE Capitol has alloted P15 million for the renovation of its main building which had not undergone repairs for more than a decade now.
The funding for the renovation is among the items in the proposed P86.47 supplemental budget of the provincial government.
Provincial Engineer Eulogio Pelayre said the Capitol's main building had leaking roof while its drainage pipes needed immediate repairs. There are also other areas in the building that needed to be improved because of their deteriorating conditions.
“Magsige nalang gud mi ug sunod-sunod kung asa ang tulo kada mag ulan. Sauna sa wala pa ting-ulan, di pa kaayo mabantayan pero karon magsige ug tulo,” Pelayre explained.
Among those to be renovated include the hallways and several department offices in the Capitol building which practically houses the entire Executive Department.
In the P86.47-million SB proposed by Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia for 2010, the budget for renovation accounts for the biggest chunk, next to the anniversary bonuses of employees amounting to at least P22 million, a copy of the proposal obtained by Cebu Daily News showed.
The proposed budget which Garcia marked as “urgent” will be among the items that will be tackled in today's sessions of the Provincial Board.
Pelayre said the last renovation of the Capitol main building, considered as a tourist spot and a heritage site, was done during the time of former Gov. Emilio Osmena after the Capitol's Social Hall was hit by fire in the 1990s.
The Cebu Capitol building whose dome facade is like the United States Capitol in Washington was built during the 1930s by then Cebu Gov. Sotero Cabahug.
In a separate interview, Provincial Budget Officer Emie Gingoyon said the additional funding proposed by the governor also includes the increase in the “representation allowances” of various offices as mandated by the national government's Local Budget Circular No. 6.
The biggest additional representation allowance was allocated to the Provincial Board at P36,000.
Gingoyon said a P4.54 million calamity fund was also incorporated in the budget along with subsidies to local government units amounting to P9 million.
The LGU subsidy will be used for development projects in component towns and cities such as the improvement of parks similar to that of the Oslob Cuartel, among others.
Also in the proposed budget is P8 million for “donations.”
According to Gingoyon, these donations will be given by the provincial government to the local chapters of the Philippine Councilors' League (PCL), the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP), Vice Mayors' League of the Philippines (VMLP), and the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC).
Last week, Garcia announced a P2-million financial assistance each for the various leagues’ own projects.
The budget of the Office of the Governor, on the other hand, contained two items described as subsidy for the courts and prosecutors offices. Around P580,000 was allotted as subsidy for regional state prosecutors, provincial prosecutors and the Department of Justice.
Another P260,000 was allocated to subsidize the operations of Regional Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts and the Supreme Court.
According to Gingoyon, these amounts are not entirely for the allowances of judges but for the operations of their offices as well.
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