BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio Domogan sees no reason to veto any item in the 2012 annual budget approved by the city council last Monday.

The mayor told the Ugnayang Panlungsod media briefing on Wednesday that everything is in order in the approved financial plan amounting to P1,168,242,000.

He said he has given the city Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) the go signal to immediately begin the preparation of the programs of work for the various priority projects lined up for budgeting to ensure their early implementation

He said the city has to move early even to the extent of preempting the approval of the budget to ensure that the projects will be implemented before the onset of the rainy season.

"Otherwise we will be overtaken by the rainy season and the projects will have to wait until October," he said.

The city council last Monday passed the budget after devoting several sessions to deliberations which took time due to questions on the proposed budgets of crucial departments like the city environment and parks management office (CEPMO).

The CEPMO is in charge of the management of solid and liquid wastes which is presently the city's biggest concern.

The body decided to approve the financial plan despite unresolved questions on CEPMO expenses to give way to the mounting concerns needing attention and action by the legislative body.

In lieu of an oral explanation, the body just tasked the CEPMO to submit reports on the following: complete program for the Baguio Sewerage Treatment Plant (BSTP); comparative analysis of the total expenditures for the operation of the ERS and hauling of garbage; and separate specific allocation for Information and Education Campaign (IEC) and for implementation of projects on environmental concerns.

Along with the budget, the councilors also approved the 2012 Annual Investment Plan which lists the projects to be funded from the 20 percent development fund with a total cost of P96,358,000.

The mayor admitted that CEPMO's budget is crucial as hefty sums were allotted for the operation and modernization of the Environmental Recycling System (ERS) operations, development of Irisan dumpsite, rehabilitation of the sewer treatment plant (STP) and improvement of Burnham Park, Botanical Garden and others.