The Bacolod City government saved a huge amount in gasoline expenses under its MABB Cab initiative in 2024.
Internal Audit Services Department Head II Ray V. Agpangan reported that the city only spent P9.9 million out of the P25.5 million allocated for fuel expenses in 2024, a press release from the city government said on Thursday, Jan. 23.
The fuel expenses for 2023 amounted to P16.3 million.
“This is taxpayers’ money, so they have the right to know about these matters,” Agpangan said
Under the MABB Cab initiated by Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, the vehicles of the city government offices were pooled together.
Employees then book for the use of a vehicle for official business through the MAAB Cab system, enabling the city government to ensure that they are not used for unauthorized matters, Benitez earlier said.
To further strengthen its move against the improper use of public funds, Benitez also implemented a stricter policy on fuel usage with the introduction of fleet cards in 2024 that are designed to prevent unauthorized fuel transactions.
With significant savings on fuel, Bacolod City not only demonstrates its commitment to responsible budgeting and transparency, but also ensures that the funds will be carefully managed by the City Budget Office for future projects of the city, the press release said.*