LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — The municipal government has approved a PHP927 million budget for 2026, with expanded allocations for social services and programs aimed at improving local government operations.
The approved budget is 21 percent higher than this year’s budget, Vice Mayor Guiller Galwan said in an interview Friday.
The next budget sets aside allocation for recently passed ordinances that broaden the municipality’s social support programs.
General public services account for the largest share at PHP432.92 million, followed by social services at PHP145.18 million and economic services at PHP110.58 million.
The 20 percent municipal development fund is pegged at PHP105.5 million, while the 5 percent local disaster risk reduction and management fund stands at PHP45 million.
The municipality will begin the fiscal year with a starting fund of PHP98.05 million.
Galwan said initial funding has been allotted for Ordinance 38-2025, which institutionalizes a health and nutrition program for the first 1,000 days of a child’s life.
The implementation of Ordinance 21-2025, which provides financial assistance to terminally ill and indigent patients, will also begin next year.
Another ordinance granting a PHP50,000 cash gift to couples celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary will likewise take effect.
These measures, he said, would strengthen support for the poor, the elderly, the sick, children, and farmers.
Councilor Renato Terreng, who chairs the committee on ways and means, noted that La Trinidad remains heavily reliant on the national tax allocation (NTA), which covers 63 percent of the municipal budget. Only 35 percent comes from local revenue sources.
“We hope to finalize revisions to the municipality’s revenue code by 2026 so we can generate additional income to finance other needs,” Terreng said.
The La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Post remains the biggest local income generator, bringing in PHP65.46 million, followed by the Strawberry Valley Hotel and Restaurant at PHP22.66 million. Local taxes total PHP186.89 million, while service fees, business taxes, and other income reach PHP25.12 million.
The municipal government is also pursuing cityhood, a move expected to increase its NTA share and boost its overall fiscal capacity. **Liza Agoot
