By Glazyl M. Jopson
BACOLOD CITY – The city government saved PHP 15.6 million in fuel expenses in 2024, spending only PHP 9.9 million out of its PHP 25.5 million allocation, according to a report from the Internal Audit Services.
The 2024 fuel expenses showed a significant reduction compared to PHP 16.3 million spent in 2023.
“This is taxpayers’ money, so they have the right to know about these matters,” Internal Audit Services Department Head II Ray Agpangan said in a press release.
The savings were attributed to stricter fuel usage policies implemented by Mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez. The policies include the use of fleet cards, introduced last year, to prevent unauthorized fuel transactions.
In March 2023, the city government also launched the MABB-Cab system, modeled after Negros Occidental’s Capitol Cab initiative, to monitor the travel locations of government employees.
Bacolod partnered with Grab Philippines to track the use of government vehicles through the ride-hailing platform, further enhancing operational efficiency and transparency.
The city’s significant fuel savings will be carefully managed by the City Budget Office for future projects, ensuring taxpayers’ money is maximized for public benefit.
