By Cindy Ferrer – PNA
ILOILO CITY — Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. has called on the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) to immediately pass the 2019 proposed budget amounting to PHP3.7 billion.
“Let us set politics aside and think not of our individual welfare or the welfare of our political patrons but consider first and foremost the welfare of our people,” he stressed when he delivered his last State of the Province Address (SOPA) during the 130th regular session of the provincial board Tuesday afternoon.
Noting that the end of his term next year will also pave the way for his retirement from politics, Defensor said he does not want to leave the Capitol with animosity.
In the first few minutes of his one hour SOPA, he enumerated the improvements the provincial government has done to the 12 district hospitals of the province. Since 2010, Defensor said that they have already invested PHP1.6 billion for the upgrade and rehabilitation of hospitals.
There is also an additional PHP372 million assistance from the Department of Health (DOH), through its Health Facilities Enhancement Program, and PHP166 million from the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) for the three hospitals serving geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA).
Towards the end of the SOPA, he said that if the provincial board fails to pass the 2019 budget before the year ends, the re-enacted budget will paralyze the operation of the hospitals because 1,011 contract of service staff, among them doctors nurses and medical technologists, as well as job hires can no longer be reappointed.
The hospitals can also no longer comply with the license-to-operate requirements of the DOH due to lack of personnel.
“Once this happens, it will have very adverse effect on our hospitals which, over the years, we have equipped with modern facilities and equipment,” he said.
He also noted the effect of those workers who will lose their jobs and will affect their provision of the needs of their families.
“If we want to be remembered as committed public servants, be ready to give up some of our personal interests, including political ones, even if this will lead to displeasure of those who think that blocking the 2019 budget may benefit their political plans and agenda,” he said.
Parts of the SOPA of the governor also highlighted the accomplishments of some of its departments and the recognitions they reaped for their efforts.
He particularly mentioned the province’s record of being the only province in the country to win the much-coveted Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) for four consecutive years. “It is the mother of all awards,” Defensor described it.
However, he said that the province will no longer be qualified to win the prestigious award if no budget will be passed before the end of the year, and the province will not be able to avail of the performance challenge fund and other incentives that go with the award.
It can be recalled that the 2019 proposed budget, which still hangs for approval of the provincial board, has been the talk in the province for several weeks now because of the sudden changes in the committee chairmanships.
The issue even prompted the Association of Iloilo Provincial Government Employee to send an appeal to the provincial board to fast-track the approval of the budget last week.
In a follow-up interview with board member Dorothy Paes, who chairs the Committee on Appropriations, she said that they have already conducted their first budget hearing on Dec. 7, tackling the budget allotted for the six district hospitals.
The budget for the remaining six district hospitals will be tackled in their second hearing this Wednesday.
Paes reiterated that they cannot just approve the budget without scrutiny and rationalize the delivery of the projects.
She mentioned that they need clarifications on some departments’ budget that are questionable.
In particular, she mentioned the PHP600 million to PHP700 million budget that does not have a detailed list of projects.
“We need clarifications on that if where that budget will go,” she said.
However, she assured that they are trying to pass the budget within this year
