The Victorias City government is planning to reappropriate and reprogram 20 percent of its development fund amounting to P55,231,320.59 that was conserved from 2015 to 2021.
This was highlighted in the first City Development Council meeting led by Mayor Javi Benitez at the Victorias City Resort Restobar on Tuesday, July 19.
Present in the meeting were the Sangguniang Panglungsod members, department heads, barangay captains, and representatives of non-government organizations who are also council members.
Benitez emphasized that the top priority of his administration is to implement services for the welfare of the people, and saving the budget is only next in line.
The city’s development fund will be re-aligned to various sectoral programs and services.
Under social development, P7.1 million will be designated to strengthen the support for peace and security; P19.5 million for the health and emergency facilities; P7.2 million for the support of senior citizens; and, P2 million for youth development.
The CDC also allocated P8 million for economic development; P1.4 million for road improvement and infrastructure projects; and the remaining P10,031,320.59 will be allotted for transparency and good governance programs.
As part of the meeting agenda, the officer-in-charge of concerned departments gave development updates regarding the health, veterinary, agricultural, environmental, and local government programs and services.
During the Chairman’s Time, Benitez enumerated his accomplishments in his first two weeks in office. On top of that is the collaboration of the city with the office of Third District Representative Jose Francisco Benitez who filed House Bill 1239 for the establishment of Victorias City General Hospital and appropriating the amount of P500 million.
The Victorias City General Hospital is expected to kick off in the first quarter of 2023.
Benitez, the newly elected youngest president of Negros Association of Chief Executives, aims to create projects and programs which will impact the lives of his constituents.*