𝐆𝐎𝐕. 𝐏𝐀𝐌 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐏𝟕𝟏𝟐𝐌 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐈𝐃
Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro has appealed to the National Housing Authority (NHA) to reallocate to Cebu the P712 million in housing assistance previously offered but returned to the National Treasury after the agency failed to reach an agreement with the former Capitol administration.
“As the People’s Governor, I firmly believe that the affected Cebuanos deserve to receive what is rightfully theirs despite the years that had passed,” Gov. Baricuatro said in the letter.
The governor’s letter, dated November 18, 2025, was addressed to NHA General Manager Joeben A. Tai and coursed through Engr. Hermes Jude D. Juntilo, NHA 7 Manager.
The disagreement stemmed from differing approaches on how to distribute the assistance to households affected by Super Typhoon Odette in December 2021.
While the NHA’s plan was to disburse P10,000 directly to each of the 72,209 qualified households identified by the Office of Civil Defense, the previous Capitol administration preferred that the LGU implement the program and distribute the aid through the Dasig Sugbo Card system rather than in cash.
Engr. Juntilo explained that adopting the province’s proposal would violate Emergency Housing Assistance Program (Ehap) guidelines and risk audit issues, possible accusations of fund misuse, and irregular allocation.
According to an earlier report, Juntilo confirmed that the NHA Central Office rejected the Capitol’s request to manage the distribution.
“Our general manager did not allow the province to handle the implementation. In the end, the funds were returned to the National Treasury,” he said.
If the appeal is approved, Gov. Baricuatro will work closely with NHA 7 to reconcile data and ensure the seamless distribution of financial aid to affected families.
Check this also: Gov. Pamela Baricuatro Leads Relief Operations in Daanbantayan After Northern Cebu Earthquake
