CEBU City Mayor Nestor Archival plans to submit a 2026 budget aligned with projected revenues, moving away from past proposals lacking funding support.
The move comes after the City Council urged him to submit the budget early. Councilor Dave Tumulak asked for submission by Oct. 1, ahead of the Oct. 16 deadline.
Archival said he has yet to receive the official request but has ordered department heads to prepare proposals based on available and targeted resources.
Next year’s budget is based on City’s projected income of P9.5 billion to P11.5 billion, likely the lowest since 2020. An initial draft is expected by late September, with final submission between Oct. 1 and Oct. 15.
Revenue-generating offices have been tasked to maximize collections to reach the target. Archival also wants to avoid raising real property taxes by improving tax collection, especially from unpermitted businesses.
The Business Processing and Licensing Office was told to simplify the permit process.
Priorities
Budget priorities include agriculture, infrastructure, health, flood control, waste management, education, housing and revenue generation.
Planned agriculture programs include model farms, farm input procurement and irrigation systems to boost food production and reduce reliance on imports.
For infrastructure, Archival plans more barangay road asphalting. On waste management, he aims to cut the high garbage disposal cost — P400 million yearly versus only P100 million in revenue — by finding ways to earn more from the sector. The Department of Public Services (DPS) was asked if more trucks are needed.
In health, Archival will prioritize completion of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) and health centers for Philhealth coverage. The P700 million CCMC contract is under review, with an executive session with the contractor set next week.
On flood control, DPS and the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office will work on a drainage roadmap. Education plans include free school supplies for public school students and a revived City Hall scholarship program, now requiring an entrance exam and Bureau of Internal Revenue indigency certification.
For housing, the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor will identify beneficiaries and sites for multi-residential buildings. Archival also plans to buy disaster-preparedness equipment, replace streetlights with solar-powered units and purchase more e-vehicles to cut the P350 million annual fuel and maintenance bill. The City spends P50 million monthly on power.
He also wants a permanent evacuation facility to avoid using public schools during calamities.
Archival criticized past high-budget proposals that left programs unfunded. He cited former mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia’s P17 billion proposal in 2024, which was cut to P14 billion, and the P50 billion approved in 2023 and P25 billion (from a P100 billion proposal) in 2024 under then-mayor Michael Rama.
When Archival assumed office in May 2025, he reported a projected deficit of P2 billion to P3 billion, later rising to P6.843 billion, which he said is expected to affect City Hall operations. / EHP