Cebu gets ?100 million for road repairs

CEBU, Philippines — The Office of the President has released ?100 million to Cebu Province for the rehabilitation of roads damaged by disasters from 2024 to 2026.

The funds were downloaded to the provincial government on Oct. 15, 2026, but officials received instructions specifying their intended use only yesterday, Oct. 29, according to Executive Assistant and Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) representative Elizar Sabinay Jr.

Sabinay said the allocation would cover damaged barangay, city and provincial roads, with priority given to projects that remain unfinished or have yet to start due to insufficient funding.

"Access man gyud na, barangay gyud ang target," Sabinay said in an interview.

He said the provincial government was consolidating its list of priority projects to determine which damaged roads could be repaired using the additional funds.

The selection would be based on the urgency of repairs, the extent of damage and the importance of the projects to the province's rehabilitation efforts.

Sabinay attributed the release to Governor Pamela Baricuatro's continued efforts to secure national government assistance for infrastructure damaged by disasters.

He said the provincial government had earlier sought approximately ?5 billion for infrastructure rehabilitation based on its post-disaster assessment and needs analysis (PDANA).

However, only ?500 million had been released for infrastructure requirements, representing about 10% of the requested amount, Sabinay said.

“Ang actual gyud budget release is just 500 million. So, gamay ra gyud siya, it's just 10% of the total commitment,” he said.

Sabinay said the province continued to follow up on funding commitments made after disasters struck, including those involving the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Education (DepEd).

He acknowledged that national agencies were also dealing with limited resources, as several provinces had been affected by disasters in 2025 and 2026.

“Dili lang Cebu who were hit last year and even this year. So that's understandable,” he said.

Despite these constraints, Baricuatro continued seeking assistance from various national government offices, including the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), chaired by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

“'This is the total amount, and so far, mao pa ni ang nahatag, we need more funding,'” Sabinay said, describing the province's appeal to the council.

He said the ?100-million allocation was a result of these follow-ups and was coursed through the NDRRMC specifically for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of roads damaged by disasters from 2024 to 2026.

Priority Projects

Sabinay said the provincial government would prioritize roads previously proposed for rehabilitation but left untouched because of insufficient funds.

The provincial government would coordinate with its engineering personnel and disaster risk reduction officials to consolidate the list and match the proposed projects with the newly released allocation.

He said some infrastructure projects had yet to start because the province had to prioritize urgent needs, particularly bridges and other essential access routes.

Depending on the cost and scope of the projects, the funds could allow the province to begin work on two to three roads, Sabinay said.

“With that 100 million, at least whatever is not nasugdan, masugdan na gyud,” he said.

He added that the provincial government hoped to begin implementing the projects as soon as the priority list was completed, rather than defer the work until next year.

The province would also coordinate with the DPWH to determine whether any of the proposed road projects fall under the national agency's jurisdiction.—  FPL (CEBU NEWS)