BACOLOD CITY – The Negros Occidental Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) unanimously approved the 2024 provincial budget amounting to P5,434,644,700 during its regular session on Tuesday, December 5.
According to Provincial Board Member Rommel Debulgado, chairman of the SP Committee on Budget and Finance, next year’s budget is up 5.66 percent from this year’s P5.1-billion allocation due to the increase in the province’s National Tax Allotment.
Debulgado said P5,244,603,544 was earmarked for the general fund and P190,041,156 for the Economic Enterprise Development Department (EEDD).
The biggest allocation went to the Special Purpose Appropriations (SPA) with P2,073,003,000 or 39.53 percent of the general fund.
Debulgado said P1,916,942,867 was allocated in the personal services budget and P6 million for Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses and Capital Outlay.
He added that P981 million was appropriated under the 20 percent Development Fund, the biggest share of the SPA.
The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund has an allocation of P262,500,000. A total of P120 million has been allotted for Miscellaneous Personnel Benefit that includes possible salary increase, Performance-Based Bonus (PBB), Incentive Benefits for Exemplary Services (IBES), and Service Recognition Incentive (SRI).