Nearly ₱300 million of the ₱520.6-million supplemental budget approved by the Palawan Provincial Board will go to hospitals operated by the provincial government for medicines, medical supplies, and manpower support.
The Provincial Board approved ₱520,630,547.43 Supplemental Budget No. 2 during a special session held on Friday, September 20.
A supplemental budget is an additional budget that a government approves on top of its original or annual budget. It is usually passed when the existing budget is not enough to cover new expenses, emergencies, or projects that were not included in the original appropriation.
Committee on Appropriations chair Board Member Juan Antonio Alvarez said Supplemental Budget No. 2 was discussed by the local finance committee where requests for additional funds of the provincial government were presented by different department heads.
He said most of the funds will be sourced from the savings of the provincial government and the excess of Supplemental Budget No. 1, which were not utilized.
Alvarez added that the majority of the budget will be for the hospitals being operated by the provincial government, most of which requested budgets for the purchase of additional medical supplies, procurement of additional office supplies, equipment, and furniture.
“Actually, ang malaking bulto nito ay para sa mga hospitals natin, sa mga tao, sa mga gamot humigit-kumulang ₱300 million yun. Yun ang pinakamalaki,” Alvarez said.
Under the supplemental budget, ₱76.7 million will be for the procurement of additional drugs and medicines; ₱79.5 million for additional medical, dental, and laboratory supplies; ₱2.4 million for additional fuel; and ₱70 million for additional funding for manpower support.
“Kung matatandaan natin, doon sa budget hearing naglagay na tayo ng ₱400 million para sa COS (contract of service) personnel ng mga hospital. Apparently, mali pala ang commputation ng dating HDMP head at kailangan ng karagdagang ₱70 million,” he said.
Aside from the allocations, other hospitals were also granted additional budget with Aborlan Medicare Hospital – ₱4.422 million; Narra District Hospital – ₱2.4 million; Rizal District Hospital – ₱754,000; Española District Hospital – ₱1.7 million; San Vicente DH – ₱406,000; Araceli-Dumaran DH – ₱8.5 million.
Other items included in the budget were ₱8.1 million for the ICT program; ₱21.2 million for the barangay aid of the Community Assistance Division; ₱6.4 million for the Culture and Arts Development program; ₱5 million for the Executive Enhancement Program; ₱3.3 million for Executive Services; and ₱4.6 million for additional office equipment, all under the Office of the Governor.
The barangay assistance program Yakap was also allotted ₱11 million while the scholarship program was allocated ₱870,000 for additional manpower who will be processing incoming scholars, and Civil Society Organization programs were given ₱972,000 also for additional personnel and office equipment.
Alvarez also said the whole provincial capitol complex will be fully connected to the internet with a budget allocation for the Provincial Information and Communications Technology Program (PICTP) in the amount of ₱1.6 million, and an additional ₱2.4 million for the PGP hospitals and ₱400,000 for internet subscription.
“Maglalagay tayo ng Starlink sa mga hospital natin para hindi na magtagal yung services like pagprocess ng mga sweldo,” he said.
Other offices that were allocated funds under the supplemental budget included the General Services Office – ₱18.7 million; Provincial Economic Enterprise Development Office – ₱26 million; Provincial Equipment Pool Office – ₱4 million; Provincial Health Office – ₱2.77 million; Human Resources Management Office – ₱10 million; Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office – ₱10 million; and Provincial Accounting Office – ₱1.56 million.
The Provincial Mining Regulatory Board was also allocated ₱13 million; Bantay Palawan ₱8 million; and Security Services ₱18 million.
For the legislative department, the Office of the Vice Governor was given an additional ₱15 million; and the Office of the Secretary ₱5.2 million.
The session hall will also be upgraded with a new set of equipment in the amount of ₱3.4 million while an additional ₱16.8 million was allocated for the Legislative Enhancement Program.
A supplemental budget is an additional budget that a government approves on top of its original or annual budget.
It is usually passed when the existing budget is not enough to cover new expenses, emergencies, or projects that were not included in the original appropriation.
