The progressive coalition Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) in Central Visayas has launched a sharp critique against Cebu's congressional representatives. The group accuses them of prioritizing massive infrastructure funding over essential social services in the national budget from 2023 to 2025.
Billions for Roads vs. Needs of the Poor
Bayan Central Visayas chairman, Jaime Paglinawan, voiced strong disapproval on December 2, 2025. He highlighted that Cebu lawmakers secured a staggering P55.77 billion in "allocable" infrastructure funds from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). Paglinawan argued this focus comes at the cost of vital public services like healthcare, housing, and education.
"If they instead crafted laws or resolutions during the budget hearing so that the P1.2 trillion would be allocated to public hospitals, many poor people could have received free medical care," Paglinawan said in Cebuano. He emphasized that such a reallocation could have saved lives and waived costly hospital fees for the impoverished.
The PCIJ Investigation and Lawmakers' Defense
This criticism follows an analysis by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ). The PCIJ report revealed the P55.77 billion total for Cebu districts, sourced from the DPWH's P1.2-trillion national infrastructure budget for 2023-2025. The center labeled the fund allocation system as a modern version of the controversial pork barrel.
According to the report, the 1st District of Cebu, represented by Rep. Rhea Mae Gullas, received the largest share at over P8.33 billion. The allocations were predetermined using the "BBM Parametric Formula" even before the General Appropriations Act (GAA) was finalized.
However, former lawmakers have pushed back against the "pork barrel" label. In a SunStar Cebu report on December 1, former 3rd District Rep. Pablo John "PJ" Garcia cited the Supreme Court's definition, stating pork barrel involves post-budget intervention. He asserted his district's allocation in the GAA matched the DPWH's original National Expenditure Program submission.
Similarly, former 7th District Rep. Peter John Calderon defended the "allocables," describing them as funds for already-implemented local projects like road concreting, water systems, and multi-purpose buildings.
A Call for Prioritizing Social Welfare
Bayan, founded in 1985 during the Marcos dictatorship, maintains its stance. Paglinawan contends that infrastructure projects are particularly vulnerable to corruption. He insists that redirecting these substantial resources could dramatically improve food security and healthcare access for the nation's poor.
The group urges legislators to concentrate on their primary lawmaking role. They advocate for a national budget that places the welfare of Filipinos above concrete and infrastructure, demanding greater transparency and priority for social services.
