LINGAYEN – Gov. Victor E. Agbayani has submitted to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for its approval next year’s budget of the provincial government amounting to P1.1 billion.

The proposed 2007 budget (Proposed Appropriation Ordinance No. 3-2006) has been referred to the committee on monetary and economic affairs headed by Board Member Angel G. Baniqued.

Provincial Budget Officer Hilaria J. Claveria said the 2007 budget is slightly higher by P29,594,910 than the budget this year.

The bulk of the proposed budget goes to maintenance and other operating expenses of the various offices, which amounts to P621,974,768 or 56 percent of the total budget.

Forty-three percent of the proposed budget amounting to P484,238,462 will go to personal services, while only P7,715,000 or one percent has been allocated for capital outlay.

Claveria said the outlay for personal services covers salaries and wages, clothing allowance of P4,000 per employee, insurances, year-end bonus, cash gifts, and other benefits including the monthly additional compensation allowance of P1,500 per employee.

In his budget message, Agbayani stressed that the proposed budget “gives ample elbow room for our priority development thrusts especially those related to agriculture, infrastructure, health care, education, tourism and trade promotion, human resources development and environmental protection.”

The governor said he will give utmost priority to the construction of more irrigation facilities, farm-to-market roads, post-harvest facilities, promotion of hybrid rice production, and expansion of the Grains Marketing Assistance Program.

He added that the province will continue its efforts to upgrade hospital services and facilities, strengthen its tie-up with the other local government units for the construction of more potable water systems, and intensify the Kalusugan sa Barangay medical-dental-surgical mission to serve more patients in remote villages.

The other priority projects include the ongoing development of the Capitol area and the Maramba boulevard into prime tourist attractions and the restoration of the Sison auditorium into the province’s premier cultural and arts center. (Jennifer Domantay/PIO)