PB wants CPAC created via ordinance

CEBU, Philippines — Amid legal obstacles to allocating funds for the operation of the Cebu People’s Action Center (CPAC), the Cebu Provincial Board (PB) has recommended that the office be formally created through an ordinance and not just by mere executive order.

The recommendation was raised during the PB’s regular session on Monday, December 22, after questions were raised on the proposed funding for the newly created body.

Board Member Celestino “Tining” Martinez III said the move was intended to call the attention of the executive branch to strictly comply with legal requirements governing the creation of provincial offices.

“To call the attention of the executive nga di pa sila ka-allocate in accordance to law,” Martinez said during the session.

He explained that CPAC has yet to be created through an ordinance, a requirement before it can be considered a regular provincial office eligible for budgetary allocation.

“Wala pa man gud siya na-create og ordinance. Ig himo na niya into office, dili siya pwede via executive order. Once makahimo na, pwede na ma-allocate-an,” Martinez added.

Martinez clarified that under existing rules, CPAC should first be transferred to the Office of the Governor before the legislative body can pass a supplemental budget for its funding.

Once CPAC is properly established as an office, he said, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) may then approve the allocation of funds, particularly under maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE).

Despite the absence of a formal ordinance, Martinez said CPAC may continue operating for now.

“Maka-operate gihapon kay mao manay gibuhat nila at the moment,” he said.

However, he recommended that the executive amend the existing executive order, noting that the current order lacks clearly defined functions related to fund distribution.

“I would like to recommend to the Executive that they will amend the executive order. Wala man gud ang functions ang pag-distribute,” Martinez said.

He stressed that the issue is not about questioning the services provided by CPAC, but about ensuring adherence to the law.

“This is not about whether right or wrong kung unsay serbisyo gihatag sa CPAC. It’s just that they need to follow the law,” he said.

Meanwhile, Assistant Provincial Administrator Aldwin Empaces explained that CPAC was originally conceptualized as a compliance mechanism linked to the Citizen’s Charter.

Empaces said the original intent of CPAC was information management—to fast-track bureaucratic services by receiving, processing, and relaying public concerns to appropriate provincial offices.

“It’s really to get information, process the information, relay it to the department—whether legal services or engineering or whatever—para matubag dayon ang concerns,” Empaces said.

He added that CPAC’s involvement in disaster response, including during Typhoon Tino and the recent earthquake, was an augmentation of services rather than its primary mandate.

Empaces clarified that relief operations remain regular programs under the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO).

He said CPAC was never intended to be an office at its inception, but a program placed under the Provincial Information Office (PIO).

The assistant administrator said discussions are ongoing on whether to amend the executive order, adding that any plan to reshape CPAC’s purpose will be elevated to Governor Pamela Baricuatro for decision.

He noted that the governor wants provincial services to be more visible and responsive to the public.

The Office of the Governor has proposed a ?14-million budget for CPAC, which has functioned as a response and support body during disasters and emergencies.

CPAC was officially created through Executive Order No. 5, Series of 2025, signed by Baricuatro on June 30, her first day in office.

The executive order established CPAC as a 24/7 centralized response hub designed to serve as the public’s direct link to the provincial government.

Under the order, CPAC operates as a multi-channel platform where citizens can file complaints, send suggestions, and make inquiries through hotlines, a website, and a mobile application. — (FREEMAN)