GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/25 Jan) – The provincial government of South Cotabato has allocated some P766 million for the implementation of various continuing local government services and programs for this year. 

South Cotabato Gov. Daisy Avance-Fuentes said the appropriation was based on the annual executive budget for 2010 that was approved and endorsed for funding last month by the 13-man provincial board.

The governor said the general public services and development projects components received the bulk of this year’s budget by cornering at least 55 percent of the total appropriation.

She said general public services received an allocation of P242.5 million or 31.6 percent of the budget while the development projects component got P195.6 million or 25 percent.

Fuentes said it was followed by the approved P168.7-million budget for social services, P122 million for economic services and P39 million for other initiatives.

But she said the approved budget was reduced by at least P984,036 from the original proposed appropriation and P833,636 from the Annual Investment Plan (AIP).

She said the items affected by the budget cuts were the P150,000 allotted under the General Fund, P350,000 for the educational assistance under the local government’s Development Alternative Framework or Project DAF and P483,636 for the purchase of animal feed requirements of the provincial government’s Animal Production and Processing Center.

But members of the provincial board cited that the budget cuts and the approved items in the budget have properly complied with the provisions of Section 324 of Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Act of 1991.

The board said it based the budget’s approval on the available sources of funds such as the real property taxes, non-tax revenues and external sources, including the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) and the local government’s share from the revenues generated by government-owned and controlled corporations. (Allen V. Estabillo / MindaNews)

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