Davao del Norte Governor Edwin Jubahib assured constituents Friday that the delivery of basic government services would remain unhampered despite the PHP500 million budget cut due to the pandemic.

In a statement, Jubahib said the provincial government has to endure the decrease because of the decline in the national government’s tax collections in 2020 due to lackluster economy caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

For Davao del Norte, a budget cut of 14.7 percent drop, equivalent to PHP500 million will take effect this year, in what the governor described as a result of the implementation of the Mandanas-Garcia ruling to national government agencies and local government units (LGUs).

“Despite the budget cut, we will see to it that we will continue the needed services of our people,” Jubahib said.

Budget allocations of local government units (LGUs) across the country have declined by 14 percent this year due to a drop in taxes collected by revenue agencies.

In computing the National Tax Allotment, the Department of Budget and Management used the base period of the third year before the distribution. In this case, the 2023 budget of LGUs is measured against the revenues raised in 2020.

“It is the right of the people to know this because they will be the ones to benefit from the services of the provincial government,” Jubahib said.

Apart from strengthening the province’s tax administration, the governor committed to utilizing its budget effectively to support the identified programs and services that will benefit Davao del Norte’s constituents.

The provincial government has allocated funds for various initiatives such as infrastructure development, education, and healthcare, the governor added.

Jubahib said they are also focusing on poverty reduction and job creation to improve the overall well-being of the people and stem the impact of budget cuts. (PNA)