The Iloilo city Government is proposing a P3.083 billion budget for 2022, higher than this year’s P2.608 billion.

Next year’s budget is boosted mainly by the increase in share from the National Tax Allotment (NTA), formerly called as the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA).

“Despite the pandemic, our city’s estimated receipts increased by at least 18.1 percent from the previous year’s projections on account of our increased NTA share due to the implementation of the Supreme Court ruling on the Mandanas-Garcia cases,” said Mayor Jerry P. Treñas.

The office of Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon received the proposed 2022 Executive Budget from Treñas on Oct. 8. The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) is yet to deliberate the budget.

Treñas explained that projections from local sources were reduced in anticipation of the decreased collections due to permanent/temporary closure of the establishments in the city due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Nevertheless, we are embracing a positive outlook and remain consistent in our vision to come up with a balanced budget without necessarily sacrificing our mandates,” the mayor added.

Under the 2022 expenditure program, P1.08 billion or 35.07 percent of the budget has been appropriated for the maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE), P1.081 billion or 33.67 for personnel services (PS), P710.5 million or 23 percent for special purpose appropriations, over P200 million or 6.51 percent for capital outlay, and P52.8 million or 1.71 percent for financial expenses.

Treñas laid down that the 2022 budget features, among others, appropriation for increase in salaries and wages of workers based on job orders and contracts of services by 12.5 percent and appropriation for implementation of third tranche of the salary schedule for LGUs effective July 2022.

It also contains appropriation for newly created offices such as Office of the Building Official, City Architect’s Office and Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) as well as funding for infrastructure projects that will help boost the city’s economy and in keeping with the Build, Build, Build program of the national government.

Meanwhile, the city government is also eyeing a P75.795 million budget for its Local Economic Enterprise (LEEO), lower than this year’s P78.819 million.

“We have adopted conservative estimates of our income for our economic enterprises, again, on account of the ongoing pandemic,” the mayor said.IMT