Food aid was Cebu City’s biggest COVID-19 expense

As chairperson of the Committee on Budget, I have submitted to the City Council a partial COVID-19 expenses liquidation.

The liquidation has been picked up by the local media and is as of December 31, 2020. Documents for subsequent transactions are still being completed by the City Accountant, City Treasurer, and City Budget Officer.

Meanwhile, the receipts are now with the Commission on Audit for their own scrutiny.

Food represented the greatest expense. P1.1 billion sa P2.5 billion expenses nga atong na total, gikan sa P2.7 billion nga gi allocate sa konseho, went to distributed food aid.

This included the food packs for police and volunteers at the checkpoints and stations, and workers and patients at the isolation centers.

Understandable ni kay dako gyud ang atong panginahanglan, labi na niadtong nag ECQ na ta. Unang nawad-an sa ilang mga pangita una naa sa informal ecomy. Misunod ang mga employees of businesses that closed.

Of what remained, P431 million went to buying test kits, laboratory equipment, hospital equipment, and personal protective equipment.

Financial assistance to private medical frontliners and its equivalent in hazard pay for government employees meanwhile reached P392.6 million.

Moving forward, kinahanglan nga atong hingusgan ang atong paninguha nga mabuntog na gyud kining COVID-19 aron nga makabukas na gyud kita sa atong economiya sa hingpit.

We heal as one, we heal together. Kitang tanan uban ta sa kausaban.