Umapad Budget Delay Stalls P4M Funds, Affects Worker Salaries
CEBU. The delayed approval of Barangay Umapad's 2026 annual budget has created a significant financial bottleneck, halting the release of a nearly P4 million supplemental budget and directly impacting the salaries of barangay program workers while limiting essential services, according to Barangay Captain Reb Cortes.
Budget Approval Process Stalled by Incomplete Requirements
Cortes explained that the barangay cannot proceed with any supplemental budget requests without first securing full approval of the annual budget, which remains pending due to incomplete mandatory requirements. These include plans mandated by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), such as the Gender and Development plan.
"We need a complete budget before we can request a supplemental," Cortes emphasized. "At this point, several plans are still incomplete, so the budget cannot yet be approved."
He clarified that once all requirements are satisfied and the annual budget receives approval at both barangay and Sanggunian levels, he plans to expedite processing of the supplemental budget. However, Cortes stressed that the supplemental funds cannot simply be inserted into the current proposal because there is no approved budget from which to realign funds, and doing so would be illegal and cause further delays.
Significant Financial Impact on Services and Workers
The barangay is seeking a total supplemental budget of approximately P4 million, with P2.3 to P2.4 million allocated specifically for salaries covering several months. Cortes noted this represents a substantial portion of planned expenditures, and the delay has already affected service delivery.
"That amount is a big cut from the services we are supposed to provide this year," he stated.
Despite having an annual National Tax Allotment (NTA) of P29 million, Barangay Umapad's 2026 budget remains unapproved at both barangay and Sanggunian levels. The situation has been further complicated by leadership and procedural issues following a suspension that affected the barangay's Council Committee on Appointments (CCA), which handles concurrence for appointments and signatories.
"Because of the suspension that reached our CCA, our processes are stalled," Cortes explained. "I am waiting for a session to determine whether I should appoint someone else or follow the rules of succession."
Temporary Measures and Worker Impacts
Despite the delays, the barangay has been operating using the proposed 2026 budget. Cortes noted that some workers received salaries earlier this year after he sought concurrence, resulting in lump-sum payments covering previous months.
"Those who worked starting January were eventually paid because I requested concurrence," he said. "When payments were finally released around September, they received a lump sum starting from January."
However, not all workers were fully covered. Ideally, salaries for eight months should have been approved, but concurrence was only granted for a specific month. Due to the lack of renewed concurrence, Cortes recently removed 10 program workers from the current month's payroll to prevent delays in paying other personnel.
"I was worried about the situation, so I personally informed the ten affected workers," he said. "I told them that once concurrence is approved, hopefully by February, their salaries from January will be released. I have already reappointed them."
Cortes emphasized that this removal was temporary and intended to ensure other workers wouldn't be affected by further delays. Only these 10 workers are currently impacted, while payments for regular personnel continue.
Procedural Challenges and Budget Adjustments
The affected workers were previously paid by the City Government but were absorbed by the barangay around September or October last year due to the nature and importance of their work. However, their appointments were only valid until December, based on CCA guidance, making renewal and renewed concurrence necessary in January.
"I have already prepared their appointments, but they still need signatures because there is no concurrence from the session," Cortes said. "Every time the issue is raised, the service is delayed."
Cortes also clarified that supplemental budgets are not "continuing" funds like development budgets. Supplemental appropriations are one-time allocations that must be processed separately and cannot be merged with other budget items.
During budget deliberations, several items were questioned or removed by a council member, including funding for:
- The Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADC) focal person
- The rabies coordinator
- A server position
The combined annual budget for these three items amounted to P180,000. Cortes said the amount was initially moved to "Other Benefits" and proposed as bonuses for officials before eventually being returned.
"I questioned why the BADC funds were moved, especially since those funds came from the city," Cortes stated. "He claimed there was an existing ordinance, but eventually, the funds were returned."
Questions were later raised about the lack of funds for the 10 program workers, despite the availability of the P180,000 that had been previously realigned. Another item, the server position, was also removed as part of proposed adjustments.
Path Forward and Compliance Requirements
For Cortes, the solution remains compliance with all legal and procedural requirements. "If we complete all the DILG requirements and submit all the necessary plans, we can request the supplemental budget," he explained. "My goal is to speed up the supplemental, but we have to comply first."
He clarified that while the total supplemental request is P4 million, only about P2.394 million is intended for salaries, with the remaining amount allocated to other barangay needs.
"This is not just for eight months of salaries," Cortes said. "The salary component is only part of the total supplemental. The rest is for other essential services."
Cortes expressed hope that once budget issues are resolved and concurrence is granted, the barangay can resume normal operations and ensure all workers are compensated without further delay.
