Local government units in Cebu stood out among the country’s top-performing LGUs in 2024, earning high marks for fiscal management and revenue generation, according to the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF).
In Memorandum Circular No. 017-2025, issued on October 1, 2025, the BLGF recognized provinces, cities, and municipalities that excelled in Local Source Revenues (LSR), the ratio of LSR to Total Current Operating Income (TCOI), Year-on-Year Growth in LSR, and Total Current Operating Expenditures (TCOE) per capita.
Cebu Province ranked second nationwide in LSR, generating P3.01 billion in 2024, just behind Bulacan at P3.39 billion. Rizal (P2.82 billion), Pampanga (P2.70 billion), and Quezon (P2.30 billion) completed the top five.
The province also placed fifth in the ratio of LSR to TCOI with 36.25 percent and fifth in Year-on-Year Growth in LSR, posting an 88.15 percent increase.
Highly urbanized cities in Cebu also made strong showings. Lapu-Lapu City led all highly urbanized cities with a 37.35 percent growth in LSR, while Cebu City ranked third with 25.76 percent growth, joining Iloilo City, Pasig, Baguio, Angeles, Taguig, San Juan, Quezon City, and Manila in the top 10.
Cebu City also ranked 10th nationwide in total LSR, collecting P5.9 billion alongside other major revenue-generating cities.
Among component and independent cities, Toledo City recorded an 18.78 percent increase in LSR, placing fourth nationwide in revenue growth, alongside cities such as Tagaytay, Lipa, San Pedro, Santa Rosa, and Naga.
Cebu’s municipalities also performed impressively. Consolacion ranked seventh nationwide in LSR with P711.55 million, ninth in the LSR-to-TCOI ratio at 61.19 percent, and fifth in Year-on-Year Growth with a 158.73 percent increase from 2023 to 2024.
Badian placed ninth in growth with 106.42 percent, joining other rapidly growing towns such as Caoayan (Ilocos Sur), Kapalong (Davao del Norte), and San Felipe (Zambales).
The BLGF based its rankings on the 2023 and 2024 Statement of Receipts and Expenditures submitted by local treasurers in compliance with Department of Finance Order No. 8-2011.
Data were processed and verified by the Local Financial Data Analysis Division with support from BLGF regional offices.
To qualify, provinces and municipalities needed at least 20 percent LSR to National Tax Allotment (NTA), while cities required 80 percent.
All LGUs were also required to maintain a 60 percent ratio of Total Current Operating Expenditures to Total Current Operating Income to ensure fiscal discipline.
The BLGF encouraged the circulation of these rankings to promote best practices in revenue generation and reminded LGUs to align fiscal policies with the Local Government Code and other relevant financial regulations.
With Cebu Province, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu City, Toledo City, Consolacion, and Badian all securing spots in the national rankings, the region demonstrated strong fiscal performance across all levels of local government.
Alongside high-performing provinces like Bohol, Bulacan, Pampanga, Rizal, and Quezon, Cebu solidified its reputation as one of the country’s most fiscally resilient areas in 2024.
