Palace doubles support fund to Cebu Province

CEBU, Philippines — The Province of Cebu is set to receive double the amount of the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) totaling P720 million from the Office of the President which will allow the expansion of projects focused on farm-to-market roads, healthcare facilities, and food security.

Assistant Provincial Administrator Aldwin Empaces revealed that the additional P360 million will complement the initial P360 million earlier granted to Cebu, bringing the total national assistance for the province to P720 million.

According to Empaces, a significant portion of the new allocation will be used for strategic farm-to-market road projects aimed at strengthening the province’s food security program. These projects are intended to improve the transport of agricultural goods, reduce logistics costs for farmers, and ensure a steady supply of basic commodities, particularly rice.

"Ang additional 360 million nga LGSF from the office of the President gi-allocate siya for strategic road farm-to-market mechanism to support kaning food security program ni Gov (Baricuatro)," said Empaces.

The LGSF is designed to help local government units address urgent needs and fast-track projects that are often delayed due to limited local revenues or the National Tax Allotment (NTA).

Empaces said the Malacañang informed the provincial government of the additional allocation, which is now being processed through the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) portal for release under a second tranche.

"Nitawag ang Office of the President this morning (February 27). Naa na gyuy total allotment of 720 million. So karon among gi-encode ron sa DBM portal para ma-access na namo," he added.

When asked why this happened, the administrator clarified that the allocation is part of a national program supporting local priorities based on project identification by the province, and not a special or politically driven assistance.

On February 23, Governor Baricuatro went to Malacañang to receive the initial P360 million allocation under the LGSF.

Of the amount, P150 million was allocated for rice assistance, which will benefit around 30,000 families in ten local government units, with each family receiving 10 kilograms of rice. Another P150 million was earmarked for priority infrastructure projects, including road works and farm-to-market roads in municipalities such as Sogod, Tabuelan, and Tuburan.

Under the 2026 General Appropriations Act, the LGSF allocation nationwide was increased to P57.872 billion, the highest level for the program to date.

Addressing Rice Supply

Meanwhile, the provincial government recently moved to address concerns over a possible rice shortage in Cebu.

A week earlier, the Office of the Governor was informed of potential supply disruptions due to the Tet holiday in Vietnam, Cebu’s major source of imported rice.

The Vietnamese Lunar New Year, observed from February 14 to 22, resulted in business and logistics slowdowns that temporarily affected shipments.

Following the assessment, Governor Pamela Baricuatro directed Provincial Administrator Atty. Ace Durano to coordinate with the Department of Agriculture (DA) to ensure an adequate supply.

The DA committed to augment Cebu’s rice inventory, which helped stabilize the market and prevented significant price increases in the province.

"Maong wala kaayo naka shoot up ang rice sa Cebu," he noted.

Empaces said the current supply circulating in Cebu largely comes from the DA’s augmentation, sourced from various areas, including Thailand.

He described the move as a precautionary measure to maintain stability, noting that there is no nationwide rice shortage.

"Igo lang sad nga makasud na ang gi-request nga importation from Vietnam. Musulod siya expectedly around the first or second week of March. Ang karon nga supply gikan pa ni sa augmentation sa DA diri sa Cebu," Empaces shared. (CEBU NEWS)