BUDGET HEARING. Members of the Ilocos Norte board deliberate on the proposed budget of the different departments of the provincial government on Tuesday (Nov. 15, 2022). Overall, the 2023 proposed budget has decreased to PHP2.1 billion from its PHP2.4 billion this year. (Contributed)
LAOAG CITY – The 2023 proposed budget of the Ilocos Norte government has gone down to PHP2.1 billion from PHP2.4 billion this year.
Amid the PHP300-million reduction, provincial treasurer Josephine Calajate said in an interview Wednesday the delivery of quality public service to the Ilocanos will be sustained.
“We just have to prioritize on the actual needs and maximize our resources to balance it,” said Calajate, adding that next year’s budget will still focus on upgrading health care services, revitalizing tourism and investing in livelihood programs, and supporting agriculture and education, among others.
As the two-day budget hearing of the different departments concluded, provincial board member Donald Nicolas, chairperson of the committee on appropriation, said "all the concerned departments have successfully defended their proposed budgetary requirements”.
Nicolas said by next week, the Ilocos Norte board hopes to approve the proposed 2023 budget.
Even before the pandemic, the Ilocos Norte government has started to put a premium on the improvement and expansion of government-run hospitals, getting the highest bulk in the province’s annual budget.
Aside from strengthening the province’s universal health care program, Gov. Matthew Joseph Manotoc underscored the importance of recovering and moving forward under the new normal.
"These have been our priorities for the past years and will continue to be so in the coming year. Our grounded assessment of the crisis' dire effects has allowed us to create suitable recovery measures to ensure that no Ilocano is left behind,” he earlier said. (PNA)
