CEBU Governor Pamela Baricuatro criticized the Provincial Board (PB) on December 18, 2025, for removing the budget allocation for the Cebu People’s Action Center (CPAC), a flagship initiative of her administration.
The criticism came after the PB approved a committee report by the Committee on Budget and Appropriations recommending the removal of CPAC’s allocation during its regular session on Monday, Dec. 15.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, Dec. 18, Baricuatro defended CPAC, describing it as a volunteer-driven initiative created through an executive order to improve service delivery to Cebuanos, particularly those from vulnerable sectors.
“The People’s Action Center (CPAC) is my baby. Born from an Executive Order, CPAC is a volunteer-driven mechanism to serve the people more effectively. Our mission is simple: mobilize, coordinate, and deliver on the needs of every Cebuano, especially the most vulnerable,” reads part of Baricuatro’s statement.
The governor highlighted CPAC’s role in recent earthquake and typhoon response efforts, saying the center was instrumental in coordinating rescue and relief operations.
She said CPAC was at the forefront during the 6.9-magnitude earthquake and Typhoon Tino, providing hot meals at evacuation centers and reaching barangays that were otherwise difficult to access.
Baricuatro warned that cutting CPAC’s budget would slow service delivery, stressing that public service is a mandate of the Provincial Government.
“Today, there are discussions about the Provincial Board cutting CPAC’s budget. Cutting funds will slow our ability to serve. Let me be clear: service to the people is not optional. It is our mandate. Without proper mobilization and essential resources, reaching every barangay, every family in need, becomes a challenge,” she said.
Executive Order creating CPAC
CPAC was established through Executive Order (EO) 5, Series of 2025, issued by Baricuatro on June 30, creating the center as the province’s centralized communication, feedback and response mechanism.
SunStar Cebu posted the EO on July 10.
The order mandates CPAC to operate a 24/7 hotline, website and mobile application for citizen complaints and service requests using a unified ticketing and tracking system to ensure timely resolution and accountability.
It also designates the Provincial Information Office (PIO) to oversee CPAC’s day-to-day operations and requires all provincial departments and attached agencies to coordinate with the center.
“The Provincial Information Office (PIO) shall oversee the day-to-day operations of CPAC and coordinate with all provincial departments for prompt action and reporting,” reads part of the EO.
The order provides that CPAC’s operational and capital requirements may be sourced from the province’s annual budget or other lawful sources, subject to applicable budgeting and auditing rules.
However, the EO does not create plantilla positions nor establish CPAC through an enabling ordinance.
CPAC director reacts
In an interview with SunStar Cebu on Thursday, Dec. 18, CPAC Executive Director Ruben Licera said CPAC’s main goal is to ensure that no Cebuano is left behind.
He said CPAC complements the services of existing provincial departments.
“This is something introduced by the governor to resolve problems quickly while still following the rules of governance,” Licera said.
He said CPAC is a program under the Office of the Governor, with its functions and funding lodged under the same office.
Licera said most concerns received by CPAC involve burial assistance, hospitalization and medical assistance.
He said that under the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, the release of burial assistance may take up to three months, while CPAC can process it in less than a month.
According to a post on the Cebu Province Public Information page on Oct. 17, Licera was introduced as Provincial Head for Special Projects and Priority Initiatives and CPAC executive director.
Budget committee’s basis
The controversy stemmed from the Committee on Budget and Appropriations’ decision to defund CPAC’s proposed P14-million allocation in the 2026 provincial budget.
The second reading of the 2026 budget is scheduled on Monday, Dec. 22.
“It was noted during the budget hearings conducted that the CPAC functions merely to augment manpower to the other offices which require additional manpower,” reads part of the committee report.
The committee said CPAC has not been duly organized as an office of the Provincial Government of Cebu and has no plantilla positions, as it is currently staffed by job order workers and volunteers.
It added that CPAC mainly augments manpower for other provincial offices and that funding for activities implemented by CPAC personnel should be sourced from the budgets of the implementing departments to avoid possible audit disallowances.
Martinez cites legal constraints
Ex-officio Board Member Celestino Martinez said the decision was based on legal and institutional requirements, not political considerations.
In a Facebook post, Martinez said that under the Local Government Code, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan has the authority to create provincial offices through an enabling ordinance.
He added that CPAC was created only through an executive order and therefore has no legal existence as a provincial office.
“The Committee on Budget and Appropriations is not mandated to determine whether a program or activity is acceptable, practical or viable. Its decisions are confined to evaluating proposals for items already included in a duly approved budget, such as the 2025 budget, and which are proposed for reappropriation in the succeeding fiscal year, 2026,” reads part of Martinez’s statement.
Martinez said the Provincial Board is prohibited from appropriating public funds for an office that has not been formally created, warning that doing so could result in illegal expenditures and audit disallowances.
He added that the board would have approved funding for CPAC had an enabling ordinance been enacted before the submission of the governor’s budget proposal, stressing that the Sanggunian cannot act beyond its constitutional and statutory mandate. (CDF)