The Negros Occidental Sangguniang Panlalawigan approved a P5.9 billion 2022 budget for Negros Occidental on Tuesday, November 16, Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer said.
Approved was P5,719,337,346 for the 2022 Annual Budget and P188,846,174 for the Economic Enterprise Development Department, he said.
Ferrer said they held their first face-to-face session at the Capitol in several months on Tuesday to approve the budget unanimously.
They had previously been holding SP sessions via Zoom because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I would like to commend the board members for their cooperation during the budget deliberations, most especially our chairman of the Committee on Finance, Board Member Rommel Debulgado,” he said.
Ferrer said they are endorsing to Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson the 2022 Annual Budget ahead of their deadline.
“May this approval lead to more efficient and prompt delivery of projects to uplift the lives of our beloved Negrenses,” he said.
Lacson thanked Ferrer and the entire SP for approving the 2022 annual budget.
“Given the circumstances, it is important that at the start of the year, the annual budget is already in place,” Lacson said.
“Our annual expenditure program was designed to better address the exigent concerns of the province. Our continuing battle with COVID-19 resulted to disruptions of our day to day operations, adversely affected business operations, and endangered our health and well being. Such crisis resulted to a shift on our priorities and spending policies. At this point, our primary goal is to recover and get back on track under the new normal”, he said.
“The pandemic has tested us to adapt and reset if need be. Our annual budget for the year 2022 is a testament of our hopes, resilience, and faith as a people,” Lacson added.
The P5.7 billion annual budget will be sourced from local revenues totaling P329,000,000 and the National Tax Allotment of P5,390,337,346.*