𝐆𝐎𝐕. 𝐏𝐀𝐌 𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐍𝐒 𝐂𝐀𝐏𝐈𝐓𝐎𝐋’𝐒 ₱𝟏𝟏.𝟗-𝐁 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐁𝐔𝐃𝐆𝐄𝐓, 𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐒 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐅𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂, 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐂, 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐈𝐏𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆
Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro on January 8 signed the appropriations ordinance for the Province of Cebu for fiscal year 2026 after it was approved on third and final reading by the Cebu Provincial Board.
The approved ₱11.9-billion budget is 52.40 percent lower than the ₱25-billion budget for 2025, which Governor Baricuatro had earlier described as bloated.
In a media briefing following the Provincial Board’s special session, Board Member Celestino “Tining” Martinez III, chair of the Committee on Budget and Appropriations and author of the ordinance, said the substantial reduction should not be a cause for concern.
He noted that the province has historically been unable to exceed the ₱11-billion spending level, even during the latter years of the previous administration from 2023 to 2025, when approved budgets ballooned to over ₱20 billion.
“Ang nagasto ra gyud sa previous years wala man gyud mosobra sa ₱11 billion. So if you’re looking at around ₱11 billion for this year to spend, you’re well within the range,” Martinez said.
This validates Gov. Baricuatro’s push for a more realistic and fiscally responsible budgeting approach—one that aligns with the province’s actual revenue-generating capacity and avoids inflated projections seen in the past administration.
𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐀
Based on comparative data for the 2025 and 2026 budgets prepared by Provincial Budget Officer Danilo Rodas, the budget for executive offices declined by ₱13.4 billion, dropping to ₱8.8 billion in 2026 from ₱22.3 billion in 2025, or a 67.10-percent decrease.
A significant portion of this reduction came from the Provincial Governor’s Office, whose budget was cut from ₱19.1 billion in 2025 to ₱5.2 billion in 2026—a decrease of ₱13.9 billion or 72.88 percent.
Despite the overall reduction, priority programs of the Baricuatro administration received increased funding.
The operating budget for the 16 Capitol-run hospitals rose by ₱394.2 million, or 14 percent, reaching ₱2.9 billion in 2026 from ₱2.5 billion in 2025.
Meanwhile, the budget for the Provincial Health Office increased to ₱1.2 billion in 2026 from a little over ₱1 billion in 2025, reflecting an additional ₱178.8 million or a 17.15-percent increase.
Another notable increase was granted to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, which had no allocated budget in 2025 but was appropriated ₱17.4 million for 2026.
In support of the administration’s push for digitalization, the Provincial Information and Communications Technology Office received an increase of ₱15.2 million, or 74.74 percent, in 2026. The Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center likewise received an additional ₱21.8 million, representing a 38.73-percent increase.
The Provincial General Services Office also saw its budget rise by ₱41,078,236.37, or 10.50 percent, compared to last year.
𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐕.’𝐒 𝐏𝟒𝟒𝟎.𝟗 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐁𝐔𝐃𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑
Vice Governor Glenn Anthony Soco expressed appreciation for the increased allocation for the Provincial Board, noting that it is higher than the previous year’s allocation.
“We appreciate the gesture of the executive department for allocating resources that we can utilize in serving our respective districts,” Soco said.
According to comparative data furnished by Rodas, the Office of the Vice Governor received an increase of ₱333.2 million, or 309.41 percent, as its budget grew from ₱107.7 million in 2025 to ₱440.9 million in 2026.
The Provincial Board also received a substantial increase of ₱81.8 million, or 41.29 percent, with its budget rising to ₱280.1 million in 2026 from ₱198.2 million in 2025.
Martinez explained that the increase resulted from structural changes implemented under the new administration.
“Definitely there is an increase (in the Provincial Board’s budget) because sauna, wala man to pasudli ang appropriations para sa legislative kay didto man gibutang sa Governor’s Office. When the new administration came in, gigahin na gyud og amount ang legislative,” he said. | CAPITOL PIO
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