Pasay City Councilor and Mayoral candidate Wowee Manguerra expressed alarm over the “bloated” budget of the city for 2025, amounting to P9 billion, with a significant portion allocated to the City Health Office and Pasay General Hospital.
According to Manguerra, it is puzzling that the Pasay City Government is allocating such large funds for healthcare, yet residents do not feel the benefits, as there continues to be a shortage of hospital rooms and medical facilities.
She highlighted the allocation of P1,071,072,472.53 for the City Health Office and P930,894,641.15 for Pasay City General Hospital.
“Why do we have a bloated budget but still lack medical services?” Manguerra stated during the budget deliberation of the Pasay City Government held at Sheraton Hotel, Pasay City.
She also questioned the considerable allocation for the Office of the Mayor, amounting to P3,871,369,674.37, as well as for the University of Pasay at P128,058,012.01 and the Pasay Social Welfare Department (PSWD) at P178,653,595.28.
“The budget for the City Mayor’s Office and our hospital is large, yet the people do not feel the same benefits that are received by residents in other cities in Metro Manila,” Manguerra added.
Manguerra assured that he would continue to monitor the budget deliberations and called for transparency in the city’s budget process, suggesting that the deliberations be made public through Facebook Live.
“We have an obligation to the citizens. We are funded by their taxes, and it is only right that we remain accountable,” she emphasized.
Meanwhile, Manguerra also criticized the lack of a clear breakdown of the budget allocations.
“Department heads should improve their PowerPoint presentations to show the public the breakdown of the funds and where they will go. The information should be clear and detailed so that the people understand how their taxes will be used,” she explained.
Manguerra further insisted that residents are clearly calling for “better governance” and a transparent process in the use of funds.
“Many citizens express doubts about how the Pasay City budget is utilized. The overall sentiment is clear: the residents of Pasay demand significant and tangible improvements in healthcare services, reflecting the true intentions behind the city’s substantial budget,” Manguerra concluded.
