The Provincial Development Council (PDC), chaired by Gov. Gwen Garcia, approved en masse the proposed 14-billion-peso Annual Investment Plan (AIP) of the Province of Cebu for the year 2025.
This is 2-billion-pesos higher than last year’s AIP of P12 billion. The PDC-approved AIP will be transmitted to the Provincial Board for review and final approval as part of the Executive Department’s proposed budget for next year.
The PDC meeting was held at the Capitol Social Hall on October 15. It was attended by members of the Provincial Board, municipal and component city mayors; as well as provincial and regional directors of national line agencies such as the PNP, PDEA, DILG, DepEd, and Armed Forces of the Philippines.
The P14 billion AIP will finance various development projects across the province. Provincial Budget Officer Danilo Rodas revealed that of the amount, P3.8 billion will be allotted for the health and medical services of the province to fund the various improvements of Capitol-run hospitals, as well as in the acquisition of equipment and additional personnel.
Another P3.5 billion is earmarked for the continuous road and bridge infrastructure development and solar street lighting projects; while P3.3 billion is allotted for the province’s bulk water system program, which involves an initial 25 LGUs.
The construction and improvement of public buildings and other vertical structures will receive P1.2 billion budget.
A new item in the AIP, power generation and electrification program, is budgeted P1 billion. This would cover the cost of the Capitol’s taking over in the electrification of Malapascua Island in Daanbantayan, after its private power provider became remiss in its contractual obligations.
Improvement of agricultural, veterinary, and environmental facilities is given P400 million; airport and seaport reclamation gets P350 million; while construction of drainage systems, slope protection, and flood control structures will receive P200 million.
Cultural restoration and development is allotted P150 million while another P100 million is set aside for the acquisition of vehicles, including ambulances and emergency response units.
The AIP is expected to further push Cebu’s developmental investments that will yield results and benefits even beyond the year 2025. | BJR