TAGBILARAN CITY – The provincial government of Bohol through Gov. Erico Aumentado’s administration has earmarked a whooping amount of PhP1,145,203,986.00 as its annual provincial general fund budget for 2010.

In its budget proposal submitted to the provincial board chaired by Vice-Gov. Julius Caesar Herrera, Capitol officials has increased the annual outlay at about 9% from this year’s fund in the amount of PhP1,039,024,761.66, based on the comparative estimate submitted by the Provincial Budget and Management Office.

Under the Local Government Code, the provincial board or the Sangguniang Panlalawigan is authorized to review the said proposed annual budget prior to spending and implementation of programs, projects and activities being lined up for the given year or period.

The biggest source of income, just like any other local government unit relies on, is the Internal Revenue Allotment from national government to the tune of PhP1,015,228,393.00 or about 88% of the total budget.

Other sources of income include tax revenues in the total amount of PhP40,000,000.00 or 3%; Operating and Miscellaneous Revenues, PhP77,075,594.00 or 7%; Extra-ordinary receipts, PhP10,400,000.00 or 1%; undefined Other receipts, PhP2 million; and External Source (PCSO/Lotto Share), PhP500,000.00.

Personal services (salaries, wages) got the lion’s share in the amount of PhP413,658,445.00. This is followed by an item called Budgetary Requirements to the tune of PhP295,074,675.00; Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses or MOOE, PhP290,198,254.00; Non-Office and Other Special Purpose, PhP128,143,262.00; and capital outlay, PhP18,219,350.00.

Target sectors to benefit from the budget are the general public sector in the amount of PhP320,125,371.00; social services, PhP254,406,749.00; economic services, PhP147,453,929.00; development projects, PhP203,045,679.00; Reserve (calamity fund), P54,866,420.00; aid to barangay at P10,000 each, PhP11,090,000.00; Payment of Loans, PhP31,617,576.00; and Non-office, PhP128,143,262.00.

In his budget message to the provincial board, Aumentado stressed that the provincial government, under the proposed budget, expects to achieve its “millennium goal of reducing poverty incidence to 23% by 2015.”

He said that the budget as proposed will provide the greater majority of the Boholano people “more access to all basic needs and services” while improving the organizational performance and human resource capabilities to delivr public services.

He said it hopes to enhance attractiveness for investors to do business here by means of Bohol Business One-Stop-Shop that hopefully would generate employment opportunities.

“This budget proposal manifest our determination to again lay a strong foundation for a greater and progressive province,” hence, a concerted effort to provide the people of the “same brand of exemplary public service that they deserve, he said.

Meanwhile, Vice-Gov. Julius Herrera, appropriations committee chair, vowed for a speedy approval of the annual budget. He said that he will soon called for a marathon budget hearings, a process mandated by law by which each budget allocation is being reviewed and scrutinized by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan prior to approval. (RVO)