DAVAO CITY (PNA) – The City Council here approved on Friday the 2010 general fund for the annual budget and plantilla worth P3,799,803,248.00 as prepared by the Council Committee chaired by Councilor Myrna L. Dalodo-Ortiz.

Lawyer Zuleika Lopez, City Council secretary, said the ordinance covers the budgets by fund account, the general fund proper, the economic enterprise for the operation of markets, slaughterhouse, Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (DCOTT), Sta. Ana Port, cemeteries, the Davao City Recreation Center (DCRC), and the Annual Development Fund (ADF).

The council, she said in a special session in preparation for the holidays, declared the fund to be made available for the operation of the city starting January 1 up to the end of next year.

She said this will be utilized to fund the total appropriation of the following budgets by Fund Account under the following General Fund:

— General Fund Proper: (excluding the appropriation for subsidy to the Economic Enterprise in the amount of P9,305,076 and the Development Fund of P82,292,271) totals to P3,151,580,437.

— Economic Enterprise: (a) market operation, P53,964,805; (b) slaughterhouse operation, P16,319,076; (c) operation of DCOTT, P11,938,422; (d) operation of Sta. Ana Port, P1,073,992; (e) operation of cemeteries, 1,755,057; and (f) operation of DCRC, P746,138; which totals to P85,797,490.

— Annual Development Fund: (a) debt servicing, P497,900,000; (b) non-infrastructure projects for social development, economic development, and development administration, P45,961,111; (c) infrastructure projects for road/land development, buildings and structures, electrification, and water system, P18,564,210; which totals to P562,425,321.

Lopez said the ordinance also contains an amendment to the organizational structure of the local government, which include: (a) Museo Dabawenyo has five new positions created; (b) Davao City Treatment and Rehabilitation Center for Drug Dependents added six new positions; (c) City Budget Office added one new position; and (d) City Accountant’s Office has 22 reclassified existing positions.

She also said the ordinance likewise provides that “the use of funds under the Annual Budget of the City Government of Davao for Year 2010, utilized in violation of Title 5, Local Fiscal Administration, as embodied in Republic Act 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991, will subject to erring officials and employees to disciplinary action or to appropriate legal measures under the existing laws of the (country).”