MABALACAT CITY – Over P18 million was slashed from the budget for the women’s sector for 2020 in Mabalacat City, resulting to the delay or deferment in the implementation of various programs.
Based on the findings of the 2020 Annual Report of the Commission on Audit, the city’s budget commitment earmarked for Gender and Development (GAD) related programs, projects and activities (PPAs) in CY 2020 was short by P18,316,278.25 or 20% of the required 5% of the total appropriations as mandated in Section 36 (a) of RA No. 9710 or the Magna Carta for Women.
The Magna Carta for Women is a comprehensive women’s human rights law that seeks to eliminate discrimination against women by recognizing, protecting, fulfilling and promoting the rights of Filipino women, especially those in the marginalized sector.
Some of the GAD programs, projects and activities include: Women’s Month Celebration; GAD IEC Materials Development; Health and Wellness; Parenting & Family Relations; Sexuality; Victims of Harassment, Abuse and Violence; and Seminars/Trainings (Gender Sensitivity, Integration of Gender Principles in Subject Content, Gender-Fair Language, Gender-Responsive Teaching Techniques and Classroom Management, Livelihood and Entrepreneurship, Community’s Disaster Risk Reduction Management, and Environmental Protection and Management.
COA regional director Ma. Corazon S. Gomez called the attention of Mayor Crisostomo Garbo to address the audit observations.
At the beginning of CY 2020, the city’s appropriation for GAD budget of P90,000,000 was short by P1,734,416.25 or 1.9% of the required 5% (P91,734,416.25) of the total appropriations. However, on July 28, 2020, Appropriation Ordinance No. 23, S. 2020 in the sangguniang panlungsod presided by Vice Mayor Gerald Aquino was passed amending the approved GAD plan and budget for the remaining balance of appropriation amounting to P38,789,060.50. It was cited that the appropriated GAD budget needed to be adjusted from P90,000,000 to P73,418,138 as per city budget certification due to the decrease of realizable income of the current year.
The audit team recommended to Mayor Garbo to require the city budget officer to ensure that all budgetary proposals, in case of revision of income estimates, must be duly supported with a revised appropriation authorized by the sangguniang panlungsod especially on the reduction of estimated realizable income and earmark at least 5% of the total annual appropriation for GAD-related activities.
Citing the Department of Budget and Management Local Budget Circular No. 112, the audit team noted: “Any shortfall in revenue collection should signal the deferment of non-priority expenditures and the non-release of the allotments indicated as reserve, for later release or needing clearance under the Allotment Release Order.”
The Mabalacat City government has not yet commented on the audit recommendations, the COA report said. With Press Release
Right of reply
Punto! contacted by social media the Mabalacat City Information Office for the city government’s side of the issue discussed here. It said it would not comment at this time.
