Cebu provincial lawmakers will scrutinize the proposed P14.6-billion budget for 2027, checking whether a 22.7 percent increase is justified by the province’s needs and whether current spending has translated into services for communities.
Vice Gov. Glenn Anthony Soco said Monday, Oct. 19, that the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) received the executive department’s budget endorsement on Wednesday, Oct. 14, but missed the cutoff for inclusion in Monday’s session agenda.
The SP is expected to take up the proposal during its next session before referring it to the Committee on Budget and Appropriations for detailed review and public hearings.
The proposed budget is P2.7 billion higher than the province’s P11.9-billion spending plan for 2026.
Soco said lawmakers would compare the proposed allocations with the current year’s authorized budget to determine whether the increases respond to actual needs.
The executive department, particularly the local finance committee, must explain and defend its proposed expenditures during deliberations.
Lawmakers will also seek feedback from communities to assess whether provincial programs and services have reached their intended beneficiaries.
Ex-officio Board Member Celestino “Tining” Martinez, who chairs the Committee on Budget and Appropriations, said he had been asking barangay captains whether their communities received the services they needed, as part of his assessment of how the previous year’s budget was implemented.
Soco, meanwhile, has asked provincial board members to identify the needs of their respective districts.
All 20 board members will have the opportunity to participate in committee discussions, including those who are not members of the budget committee, Soco said.
Martinez said the committee had already requested financial reports and other documents to help evaluate the proposed spending plan. Once the SP formally refers the budget to the committee, lawmakers will summon provincial departments to explain their proposed allocations.
The review will cover spending for hospital services, classroom repairs, infrastructure improvements and bridge projects, among other public needs.
“The budget is your money. It’s taxpayers’ money,” Martinez said, stressing the public’s right to know how the province intends to use its funds.
Healthcare will be among the priorities for scrutiny. Martinez recalled that the sector received nearly P4 billion in the previous budget and said lawmakers would examine how the province spent the allocation and whether the proposed increase is warranted.
The proposed 2027 budget earmarks P5.865 billion, or 40.2 percent of total spending, for healthcare. The allocation will fund hospital improvements, medical equipment, medicines, supplies, personnel and public health services.
Gov. Pamela Baricuatro’s administration has prioritized improvements to provincial and district hospitals, along with increased support for agriculture, water development and disaster preparedness.
Martinez said lawmakers must examine the detailed allocations and supporting financial documents before deciding whether the proposed increases are justified.
Soco also cited inflation and salary adjustments under the government’s salary standardization program as factors that could raise expenditures, particularly personal services.
The board plans to follow a participatory process similar to last year’s budget hearings. Martinez said the committee wants the public to monitor the proceedings and understand how lawmakers assess the proposed allocations.
Section 318 of Republic Act No. 7160, or the Local Government Code, requires local government units to submit their annual executive budgets to their respective legislative bodies by Oct. 16 each year. The SP may recommend changes to the proposed spending plan before approving the annual budget.
Photo courtesy of Beyond Legislation
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