BACOLOD CITY — Bacolod City is poised to increase its annual budget to over PHP 4 billion in 2025, up from PHP 3.6 billion in the current year, according to recent estimates. This marks a significant rise from the PHP 3.2 billion budget when Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez first took office in 2022.
According to Philippines News Agency, the proposed budget for 2025 is set at PHP 4.2 billion, reflecting an increase of PHP 1 billion over three years. This growth is attributed to an anticipated rise in the city’s share of the national tax allotment (NTA), which is expected to be PHP 2.234 billion next year—nearly PHP 300 million more than this year's allocation. The NTA currently accounts for 55 percent of Bacolod’s total budget, with the remaining 45 percent projected to come from local sources.
The mayor highlighted that, under his administration, there has been a concerted effort to boost local revenue collection, which is on track to reach PHP 1.7 billion in 2024 due to improved collection efficiencies. The City Treasurer’s Office data revealed that in 2023, Bacolod generated PHP 1.449 billion from local taxes, regulatory fees, and other charges. This is a substantial increase from the PHP 1.009 billion collected in 2019, before the economic disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The years 2020 and 2021 saw significant declines in local revenue, with collections dropping to PHP 956.117 million and PHP 940.355 million, respectively. However, recovery was evident as total collections climbed to PHP 1.137 billion in 2022 and further to PHP 1.449 billion in 2023.