for vetting RMA-12/21-4
Ilocos Norte prov’l board OKs P1.6-B budget for 2019
LAOAG CITY -- The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Ilocos Norte unanimously approved on Friday the PHP1.6-billion budget of the provincial government for next year.
In a special session, the 11 board members present approved Provincial Appropriation Ordinance No. 2018-12-067 on the 2019 budget.
A huge chunk of the PHP1.6-billion budget will go to health and medical services, agriculture and infrastructure support.
Provincial Board Member Vicentito Lazo, in an interview on Friday, said that in passing the budget, they thoroughly scrutinized the proposed appropriation for the various offices during their hearings conducted since last week.
“Through the help of the Committee on Finance and Appropriation, the approved budget of the provincial government of Ilocos Norte is in accordance with previously issued budget circulars,” he said.
Lazo noted, however, that the proposed budget for the General Services Office, the Gov. Roque B. Ablan Sr. Memorial Hospital, Dingras District Hospital, Ilocos Norte Youth Development Office and the Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO) were amended.
For other allocations, the local finance committee was asked to put in detail the specific appropriations and to avoid putting in brands.
For 2019, the ENRO office shall continue to hire an average of 446 Baragay Ranger Officers on a quarterly basis to sustain the development of the Ilocos Norte “green wall” project in the upland barangays of the province. (PNA)
