By Rjay Zuriaga Castor
ILOILO CITY – Councilor Urminico “Doc Nick” Baronda Jr. has called on the Iloilo City Council to ensure an equitable distribution of funds under the Coordinated Executive Sangguniang Panglungsod Efforts for the Development of Iloilo City (CESPEDIC) program.
Baronda made the appeal during the City Council’s regular session on Jan. 8, citing his experience of losing his CESPEDIC budget in 2024 due to political conflicts.
Last year, Baronda’s office was stripped of its CESPEDIC budget following a political rift between the camps of Mayor Jerry Treñas and his daughter, Iloilo City lone district Rep. Julienne “Jamjam” Baronda.
As a result, the contracts of personnel appointed by Baronda were not approved.
“I am just trying to make sure that we have a budget because what happened to me may happen to you also. We have to ensure that our employees are ours. How sure are you that the next mayor will be in your [party]?” Baronda said during the session.
“You are still young. What happened to me might happen to you. We have to ensure that what is allocated for us, it is us who will spend it,” he added.
2025 Budget Allocation
In the approved 2025 annual budget, the City Council allocated over PHP 74.5 million for the CESPEDIC program.
The City Budget Office announced that each councilor will receive PHP 2.23 million, the vice mayor’s office will get PHP 3.53 million, and the city mayor’s office is allocated PHP 38.5 million.
The funds, which cover Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses, including staff salaries, are intended to be used throughout the fiscal year.
The approved budget for the CESPEDIC program is lump-sum, meaning allocations are not broken down into detailed line items.
Since the CESPEDIC budget is managed under the Office of the City Mayor, the mayor has discretion over how the funds are spent and holds authority to sign contracts and approve appointments for councilors’ employees.
Call for Fairness
Amid political tensions at City Hall, Baronda expressed hope that the mayor will uphold fairness in decision-making, particularly in hiring employees funded by the program.
“I hope that the mayor will give each councilor an equitable amount for the CESPEDIC,” he said.
Meanwhile, Councilor Ely Estante proposed crafting an ordinance to set an expenditure ceiling for each councilor.
The proposed measure aims to ensure that outgoing councilors leave sufficient funds for their successors after the 2025 midterm elections.
