BACOLOD CITY – This highly-urbanized city and the province of Negros Occidental will have higher annual budgetary allocations for 2024 with the increase in their respective National Tax Allotment (NTA) shares.
From PHP3.25 billion in 2023, Bacolod City will have a total appropriation of PHP3.6 billion next year, while Negros Occidental will have a budget of PHP5.43 billion in 2024, from only PHP5.14 billion this year.
The city's 2024 budget is higher by PHP350 million, or about 9.7 percent than the current budget of PHP3.25 billion, which was just the same in 2022 due to the cut in the NTA share.
Councilor Jude Thaddeus Sayson, chair of the committee on appropriations and finance, said on Thursday that the annual 2024 budget, approved Wednesday afternoon, includes an increase in allocation for social services.
“Social services have a substantial budget. The mayor (Alfredo Abelardo Benitez) emphasized his promise for the senior citizens, persons with disability, and health services,” he said in an interview.
In 2023, Bacolod only had an NTA share of PHP1.85 billion. Next year, it will receive PHP1.97 billion, comprising 55 percent of the total budget, while 45 percent or PHP1.63 billion will come from local sources.
Benitez said in his budget message that 36 percent, or PHP1.32 billion, has been earmarked for general public services, comprising the executive and legislative services.
The allocation for the social services sector is PHP1.24 billion or 34.61 percent, mainly for education and manpower development, health services, housing and community projects, and social welfare.
Some PHP710 million, or 19.73 percent, is for other services, and PHP317.9 million, or 8.83 percent, for economic services.
“By prioritizing our commitment to the city and our constituents, our efforts at providing basic services, improved public use facilities, and development projects have remained uninterrupted and unwavering,” Benitez said.
In Negros Occidental, the PHP5.43 billion annual budget for next year, which was approved by the provincial board last week, has an increase of 5.66 percent from this year’s PHP5.14 billion due to its higher NTA share.
Lower NTA share reduced the province's 2023 annual budget by 12.87 percent, or about PHP780 million, from PHP5.908 billion in 2022.
Of the total PHP5.43 billion allocation for 2024, some PHP5.24 million will be for the general fund and PHP190 million for the Economic Enterprise Development Department. (PNA)
