The local government of Manila has allocated about P10.03 billion or 40 percent of the P25-billion 2025 budget of the city for social services.
“We have a larger budget in 2025, an increase to P25 billion from P16 billion because we expect much more revenues next year, thanks to our vibrant economy. We are, therefore, able to set aside P10 billion for social services and P5.5 billion for general public services. We are able to do all these without incurring any new massive loans,” Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan said.
She said the city's capital outlay next year is only about P183 million because they are still paying for the P17.8 billion in infra loans incurred by the former city mayor.
"Next year our debt payments total nearly P1.2 billion. That is the measure of fiscal irresponsibility the former mayor had and still has,” she added.
The mayor emphasized the city's ongoing commitment to completing vital infrastructure projects, explaining that these initiatives were not only part of contractual agreements with the banks but also a moral obligation to the residents of Manila.
"We have been dedicated to finishing these projects," the mayor stated.
She said they have allocated P50 million to complete the President Corazon Aquino General Hospital, P283.63 million for Phase 1 of the Pritil Market construction, and P573.3 million to finalize the 10-storey Kalinga Center.
“Tapat at totoo tayo sa mga residente, entrepreneur, at investors sa Lungsod ng Maynila. Karapatan ng lahat na malaman kung saan napupunta ang mga buwis, service charges, at iba pang bayarin sa city hall. Yung perang inutang sa mga bangko ng nakaraang administrasyon, sa mga "papogi" buildings lang po iyon ginastos at hindi sa Covid response (We are honest and truthful with the residents, entrepreneurs, and investors of the City of Manila. Everyone has the right to know where the taxes, service charges, and other fees at city hall go. The money borrowed from banks by the previous administration was only spent on some buildings and not on Covid response),” she stressed.
The local chief executive pointed out that the welfare aid to senior citizens accounts for P1.78 billion or the largest chunk of the P10 billion social services budget, while P1.247 billion is for the calamity fund and P1.069 billion is for the 20 percent development fund.
“We also budgeted P360 million for indigent persons with disabilities and P210 million for the persons with disabilities social amelioration program. We also allocated P369 million for cash aid to calamity victims, P590.75 million for next Christmas’ noche buena boxes, P162 million for solo parents, P82.5 million for Food for Work, and P24.5 million for aid to relocatees,” the mayor noted.
“For teachers’ incentives, we budgeted P297 million, SPES-SIP P29 million, and pre-school P118.79 million. That’s on top of the P459.35 million for the Universidad De Manila and P344.155 for the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila,” she also said.