Over P400 Million in Cebu Disaster Funds Stalled, Delaying Survivor Relief
More than P400 million in disaster trust funds remains stuck at the Cebu Provincial Board (PB), causing significant delays in providing critical relief to survivors of a major earthquake and typhoon. The P473.58 million fund is earmarked for assisting victims of the September 2025 earthquake and Typhoon Tino in November, as well as procuring essential equipment like mobile kitchens, mobile clinics, and a sea ambulance.
Procedural Disputes Hinder Aid Distribution
Assistant Provincial Administrator Aldwin Empaces highlighted that these delays have stalled key interventions that should have commenced last year. The Executive Department initially endorsed the funding measure in November, but PB Member Celestino Martinez III returned the proposal because it included funds from 2020. Martinez cited Republic Act 10121, which mandates that unspent disaster funds automatically revert to the provincial general fund after five years.
Governor Pamela Baricuatro pushed back against this interpretation, arguing the funds were still valid when her office first submitted the plan. "We are aware of the five-year expiry period of a particular unexpended fund, thus, utilization is on a first-in, first-out basis," Baricuatro stated in a letter. Despite her defense, the Executive Department eventually agreed to remove the 2020 funds and drafted a revised plan to appease the board.
Revised Plan Faces Additional Hurdles
This revised plan encountered further obstacles when Martinez returned it again on February 9, citing mismatched amounts in supporting documents. He also noted that the provincial budget officer, rather than the disaster office, prepared the plan. During these exchanges, Martinez indicated that the PB prioritized annual budget deliberations and raised separate questions about the necessity of purchasing a sea ambulance.
Memo Confusion Exacerbates Delays
A new memorandum from Vice Governor Glenn Anthony Soco further complicated the final resubmission. Signed on March 25, the memo requires all documents submitted from the Office of the Governor to the PB to bear the governor's signature. However, the Executive Department only obtained an electronic copy of this rule from the PB's secretariat on April 6, after Baricuatro's chief of staff, James Canoy, had already signed the latest proposal on March 30.
According to Empaces, this lack of proper transmission caused additional processing delays, although the PB later accepted the documents. Reporters attempted to obtain a copy of the memo on April 8, but staff members stated that the absent chief of staff held the only copy.
Frustration Mounts Over Inaction
Frustrated by the prolonged timeline, Empaces questioned the PB's continued inaction. "The question is, why was it not tackled in November, why was it not tackled in December... which roughly gave you six weeks to tackle it," he said. The ongoing bureaucratic hurdles underscore the urgent need for streamlined processes to ensure timely aid reaches disaster survivors in Cebu.
