‘MAYBE IT’S UNFAIR’: Archival questions delay in turnover of City Hall docs

Local

CEBU City Mayor-elect Nestor Archival Sr. on Thursday, June 26, expressed concern over the delayed turnover of government documents and the looming challenge of taking over a local government he claims may not have enough money to pay job-order (JO) workers and fund existing projects.

Archival, who officially took his oath as the 29th mayor of Cebu City on June 26, said the transition process, which had started on a positive note earlier this month, now appears to be crunched for time.

With the full turnover reportedly set for June 30, just hours before he formally assumes office at noon, Archival said he is still in the dark about the true state of the city government.

“Ang problema lang nganong didto pa sa petsa 30 unya taman ra sa 12 noon,” he said in an interview. “Maybe it's unfair. Imagine how many offices have to be turned over. Mao na nga nirequest ko nga maturnover na unta ang status sa mga opisina. We need to act on things nga angay nato iact.”

He added that while a few items have been received, “basically wala pa gyud na-turnover bisan usa.”

The mayor-elect admitted that he is worried the transition window may be too short to scrutinize all department reports and records.

“I think so,” he said when asked if time would be insufficient. “Unsaon man nimo pag-turnover sa kadaghan nga departments in just a few hours? Naa pa gyud daghang questions.”

The tension quietly brewing beneath the transition surfaced more clearly in Archival’s remarks about the city’s finances, a contrast to the claims made by outgoing Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia.

Archival reiterated his worry that Cebu City may be running a deficit despite Garcia’s announcement that the city has over P12.1 billion in bank deposits and no outstanding debt.

“Kahibaw ko nga ang fuel gyud sa atong revenue mao gyud ang kwarta,” Archival said. “Pero dili pa gyud gihapon ko makuha ug total picture.”

From his initial findings, he estimates that the city spends around P40 million per week on JO workers alone, a rate he said could be difficult to sustain.

“If our revenue is P10 billion a year, there’s no reason we should be spending P12 billion,” Archival pointed out.

“That’s tentative, but I fear it may not be sustainable.”

While Garcia emphasized earlier this month that the city remains financially healthy, with high local revenues and a surplus, Archival said he wants to independently verify those claims.

“We’re checking. That P12 billion may have a basis, but I want to be sure,” he said.

Previously, Garcia had confidently declared that Cebu City is “debt-free,” and even proudly cited a P6-billion revenue performance that led to the city being ranked No. 1 in Central Visayas in 2024 for locally sourced revenues.

“The city has P12.1 billion in bank deposits that we are leaving to the incoming administration—and we are proud to say that the city has zero debts,” Garcia said.

Meanwhile, Garcia’s camp announced that the State of the City Address (SOCA), originally scheduled for Friday, June 27, has been moved to Monday, June 30, due to “unavoidable circumstances.”

The SOCA will now take place at 8:30 a.m. at Plaza Sugbo, just hours before Archival officially assumes the mayoralty.

Despite the unclear turnover timeline, Archival said he is ready to begin working immediately. Among his first executive orders is directing the Department of Public Services (DPS) and City Engineering Office to desilt rivers and drainage canals, especially with recent flooding during heavy rains.

He also plans to launch a waste segregation campaign to address the city’s ballooning garbage expenses.

Other top priorities include food production, organizing recycling systems, strengthening scholarship programs, and forming an audit team to assess the status and funding gaps in CCMC, especially in relation to the P700-million awarded project still awaiting completion.

“I will also make sure City Hall is the model for segregation,” Archival said.

While he remains hopeful that the transition will proceed professionally, Archival said he could not ignore the warning signs of a rushed handover.

“The transition is there, but basically, wala pa gyud actual nga na-turnover,” he said.(TGP)