Provincial Board okays Leyte’s P1.387-B annual budget for 2012

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
November 23, 2011

TACLOBAN CITY  –  The Sangguniang Panlalawigan, during its regular session on November 22, unanimously approved the P1,387,000,000 Annual Budget of the province of Leyte for the year 2012.

The budget was passed without much discussion on the floor because the same has already been deliberated upon by the august body before the session, the chairman of the SP committee on Public Information and vice chairman of the committee on Finance and Appropriation Board Member Roque Tiu told the media practitioners covering the Capitol.

Gov. Carlos Jericho L. Petilla submitted to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) on October 13, the 2012 Annual Budget of the Provincial Government of Leyte for the consideration and eventual enactment of an appropriation Ordinance pursuant to the Local Government Code (RA 7160), Board Member Tiu of the 1st District of Leyte, said.

The approved Executive General Fund Annual Budget of the Provincial Government of Leyte for Fiscal Year 2012 has a total appropriations amounting to P1,387,000,000. The revenue sources are estimates from the Internal Revenue Allotment, Local Taxes/Receipts and from the Unappropriated Surplus as of December 2010 Beginning Balance.

As stated by Governor Petilla in his Budget Message, it is still the priority of his administration to pursue on top Information and Communications Technology, Tourism Development, Livelihood for youth with values formation, and improved health care through upgraded hospital facilities and personalized services.

The expenditure program of the Provincial Government of Leyte by sector showed that the biggest share in the pie goes to Health, Nutrition, Population and Social Welfare at 22.20%; followed by General Public Services at 18.23%, Development Funds at 16.48%, Special Purpose Appropriations at 13.92%, Economic Services at 11.44%, Statutory and Contractual Obligations at 8.04%, LDRRMC Fund at 4.61%, Special Programs, Projects and Activities at 4.33% and Aid to Barangays at 25%.

The approved budget, according to BM Tiu, is more than P110M over and above the 2011 budget of P1,277,000,000, despite the 4.7% decrease of the IRA as announced by the Department of Budget and Management due to the 2009 shortfall of Internal Revenue collection.

This is due to the surplus of 2010 budget in the amount of about P108M, the decrease for 2012 budget was offset with the accumulated 2010 budget savings according to Ms. Gina Hipe, the Provincial Budget Officer.

The IRA for 2012 for the Province of Leyte is P1,143,000,000 while that of the 2011 total IRA is P1, 190,000,000 or about P47M lower between the 2011 and 2012 IRA.