Before a single page of the 2026 budget has even reached their desks, Cebu Vice Governor Glenn Soco has already promised that the Provincial Board will approach the ₱11.9-billion proposal with fairness and balance.
Soco, who presides over the Provincial Board, emphasized that the legislative body remains independent and will responsibly exercise its mandate as it reviews the annual appropriation ordinance.
He said in an interview on Monday, September 22, 2025, that Governor Pamela Baricuatro’s political affiliation will not influence how the Board handles the measure.
“I could not comment on the details of the budget as of the moment because the Sangguniang Panlalawigan is yet to receive the proposed annual budget for the Local Expenditure Program for 2026,” Soco said.
He added that the executive branch is expected to submit the proposal on or before October 16.
Soco declined to comment on whether the proposed budget, which is significantly lower than this year’s allocation, is feasible.
However, he assured that the Board would scrutinize the measure fairly, emphasizing that it is part of the legislative body’s mandate to deliberate on the budget responsibly.
The vice governor ran in the last elections alongside former governor Gwendolyn Garcia.
The Provincial Board is largely composed of Garcia’s allies under the local party One Cebu.
The executive department submitted the ₱11.9-billion budget proposal earlier, with Governor Baricuatro describing it as both “realistic” and aligned with the province’s actual financial capacity.
She said the 2026 spending plan is anchored on Cebu’s true revenue potential, contrasting it with the previous year’s ₱25-billion budget, which she described as “bloated” and unsustainable.
A significant portion of the proposed budget is earmarked for essential services.
Hospital upgrades will receive ₱1.3 billion, while infrastructure projects are allocated ₱1.45 billion. Baricuatro emphasized the balanced distribution between healthcare and infrastructure.
“More or less, our distribution of the budget for infrastructure and healthcare is even because we do not want to focus wholly on infrastructure while our hospitals are a mess,” she said.
The proposal also includes funds for disaster preparedness, such as relief warehouses in Carcar City and Danao City, and increased support for the Provincial Nutrition Council to address malnutrition.
The governor also plans to launch mobile kitchens within her first 100 days to combat hunger and food insecurity in municipalities with the highest rates of malnutrition.
Cebu Business News
