Soco assures proposed 2026 P11.9-B budget will be tackled with fairness, balance

Local

CEBU Vice Governor Glenn Soco assured the public that the Provincial Board will handle the proposed P11.9-billion annual budget for 2026 with fairness and balance, even amid political differences with the executive department.

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 noted that while Governor Pamela Baricuatro belongs to a different political party, this will not affect the Board’s handling of 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 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, Soco assured that the Board would scrutinize the measure fairly, emphasizing that it was part of the legislative body’s mandate to deliberate on the budget responsibly.

The vice governor ran in the last elections alongside former Gwendolyn Garcia. The Provincial Board is largely composed of allies of Garcia under the local party One Cebu.

The executive department submitted the P11.9-billion budget proposal earlier, with Governor Baricuatro describing it as both “realistic” and aligned with the province’s actual financial capacity.

The 2026 spending plan, she said, is anchored on Cebu’s true revenue potential, contrasting it with the previous year’s P25-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 P1.3 billion, while infrastructure projects are allocated P1.45 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,” he said.

The proposal also includes funds for disaster preparedness, such as relief warehouses in Carcar City and Danao City, as well as 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.

Baricuatro framed the entire proposal as a commitment to fiscal discipline and practical governance.

By aligning allocations with actual revenue, the province aims to deliver on its priorities without overpromising. The budget is now under the review of the Provincial Board, which is expected to deliberate and decide on its approval in the coming weeks.(MyTVCebu)