By MARILOU M. AGUIRRE | Davao Today
DAVAO CITY City Hall directed its departments to tighten their belt and trim down unnecessary expenses as the country reels from the economic crisis.
Mayor Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order No. 13 on May 12 directing the city to adopt austerity measures and to set aside enough funds only for the most pressing projects and emergencies.
Duterte said the local government expects more Davao residents to have difficulty paying their taxes this year as prices of basic commodities like rice and gasoline continue to increase.
The executive order directed government offices to put on hold their funds for lakbay-aral (educational trips), conferences, workshops, and conventions outside the city, which used to make up 10 percent of the budget of each department.
It also directed offices and departments to save on power, water and office supplies, to limit the authorized overtime for government employees and to cut unnecessary trips within the city to save on gasoline. (Marilou M. Aguirre/davaotoday.com)
