Sept. 16-22, 2010
Like everybody else workng in the Capitol, Davao del Norte provincial administrator Rufo Peligro said that his travel is also subject to the scrutiny and approval by Governor Rodolfo del Rosario during the implementation of the savings-bound austerity measure. For next year, it will result into centralization of travel budgets of all departments at the Office of the Governor.
In an interview with the Valley & City Chronicle, Peligro said that even now official travel to outside Davao Region “is banned” but “it’s only the governor who can make exemption to the ban”.
He said that even himself is covered to that ban. .
But Peligro said though that as the provincial administrator he has only the “authority to approve travels within the region”. “Outside of that is beyond my authority”.
Currently, Capitol departments are coming up with their respective budgets for the 2011 executive budget that would be submitted to the legislative department up until October 16, the deadline set in the timeframe of the local government code following the budget call for next year.
In the recent years, the executive department spent an average of P5 million for travels alone, said provincial budget officer Norma Lumain in earlier interview.
Included in the governor’s austerity mesures is the cutting of meals and snacks provision by only one meal or one snacks for the one-day official activity initiated by any Capitol office, and the putting into status quo in the 2011 budget the the maintenance and other operating expenses based on the approved 2010 budget.
The provincial government would be hitting about P750 million budget for next year.
But interviewed separately in his office, Gov. Del Rosario said that that it is “not really a ban” as he will still allow travels outside the region “if it is official in nature and a necessity”.
He said he is “trying to minimize expenses like in one our problems on travels” since “marami kasi dito na they just want to consume their travel budgets when they see that they still have unused travel budgets before the end of the year” referirng to various Capitol departments and offices.
He said that his austerity measure is in keeping with the strong call of President Aquino III for austerity in all government offices nationwide.
“This is for us to be able to save our meager resources and put these to more important projects,” he added.
He also said that his austerity measure should also hold true even to the barangay level particularly citing a need to save in the travel expenses for the lakbay-aral of barangay officials. (RUN/cha monforte)
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