In 2007: Bukidnon, Mindanao's biggest earner, spender

Bukidnon topped 25 other provinces in Mindanao to have the highest income earned from local revenues in 2007 with P1.295 billion in gross income, making it also the country’s tenth biggest.

Bukidnon is the only province from Mindanao to make it to the Top 10 list, according to the 2007 Financial Statements Highlights of Local Government Units posted in the Commission on Audit website.

The provinces with highest income for 2007 were Bulacan (P1.807 billion), Negros Occidental (P1.674 billion), Cebu (P1.657 billion), Cavite (P1.542 billion), Laguna (P1.487 billion), Pangasinan (P1.482 billion), Batangas (P1.386 billion), Quezon (P1.36 billion), Rizal (P1.361 billion) and Bukidnon (P1.295 billion).

Except for Visayas’ Negros Occidental and Cebu and Central Luzon’s Pangasinan, the rest of the provinces compose Luzon’s elite CALABARZON growth provinces.

Bukidnon’s internal revenue allotment in 2007 was P835.1 million, projected at P904.7 million in 2008, and expected at P1.01 billion in 2009, according to Bukidnon’s Certified Statement of Receipts endorsed by the Local Finance Committee to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan in October 2008.

The Local Government Code of 1991 or Republic Act 7160 gives LGUs the power to create their own sources of revenue and to levy taxes, fees or charges which shall accrue exclusively to their treasury.

Davao ranked fifth among cities with the Top 10 highest gross revenues at P3.153 billion. It is the only city from Mindanao on the list. No town from Mindanao made it to the Top 10 list in the municipality category.

The provinces of Camiguin, Dinagat Island, and Siquijor placed second, third, and fourth lowest earner with gross revenues ranging from P182 million to P195 million in 2007.

The cities of El Salvador (Misamis Oriental), Lamitan (Basilan), Tandag (Surigao del Sur), and Cabadbaran (Agusan del Norte), also ranked first, second, third, and fifth among the lowest gross income earners with figures ranging from P55-to P87 million in 2007. They were among six in Mindanao that lost citihood status for failing to comply with the requirements of the law based on a Supreme Court decision late in 2008.

The towns of Mangudadatu, Maguindanao ; Pandag, Maguindanao; Sibutu, Tawi-tawi; Limbaca-Unayan, Lanao del Sur; Burgos, Surigao del Norte were included in the bottom 10 for earning the lowest gross income ranging from P8 to 15 million in 2007.

Bukidnon was also Mindanao’s highest spender in 2007, with P1.213 billion in expenses landing at eighth of the Top 10 highest spending LGUs in the country.

The provinces in the Top 10 spenders were Negros Occidental, Bulacan, Cebu, Cavite, Quezon, Batangas, Laguna, Bukidnon, Pangasinan, and Iloilo.

The provinces of Dinagat Islands, Siquijor, Camiguin, and Basilan were at the Bottom 10 for spending the least in 2007.

Davao City ranked fourth in the Top 10 highest spenders at P2.888 billion.

In 2007, the cities of El Salvador, Tandag, Lamitan, Cabadbaran, and Bayugan were among the Bottom 10 for spending the least, ranging from P55 to P99 million.

Three Maguindanao towns: Pandag, Mangudadatu, and Datu Anggal Midtimbang; Sibutu, Tawi-tawi; and Alegria, Surigao del Norte belonged to the Bottom 10 for spending the least in 2007 ranging from P6 to 13 million only.

Bukidnon, however, did not belong to the Top 10 provinces with highest net income while the cities of Zamboanga and Cagayan de Oro made it to the Top 10 for cities.

The provinces of Zamboanga del Norte and Bukidnon made it to the Top 10 provinces with highest current assets with P802 million and P765 million, respectively.

For the Top 10 highest liabilities, Zamboanga del Sur (P979.84 million) and Zamboanga del Norte (P641.99 million) were included as third and ninth.

The COA’s list of LGU financial statements include balance sheet and statement of income and expenses.

The balance sheet shows the financial condition of local government agencies in terms of assets, liabilities and equity. (Walter I. Balane / MindaNews)

Share: