THE Cebu City Council has urged Mayor Nestor Archival to submit the proposed 2026 annual budget ahead of the deadline to allow more time for review and to allocate funding for critical programs.
City Councilor Dave Tumulak, who chairs the committee on budget and finance, authored a resolution on Aug. 5, 2025, urging Archival to submit the proposed 2026 annual budget by Oct. 1, 2025.
This will be two weeks earlier than the Oct. 16 deadline set by Section 318 of the Local Government Code.
Tumulak, in his resolution, underscored that early budget approval will be essential for the timely release of funds and operational readiness.
The resolution specifically mentioned the need for proactive planning for the Sinulog Festival. Tumulak stressed that the annual activity requires extensive logistical and financial planning.
Tumulak, on July 29, submitted a series of resolutions outlining crucial steps and proposed key measures for the annual celebration to manage the expected crowds and ensure public safety.
The resolutions include preparations for all Sinulog-related events and activities; a traffic and parking management plan; security and logistics; and even the upcoming dry run of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit along Osmeña Blvd.
In his latest resolution, Tumulak acknowledged that recent local elections or other events might cause delays in budgetary preparation, but the timelines from the Department of the Interior and Local Government must be followed.
These timelines include the budget call in April and May, department proposals in May and June and the review by the Local Finance Committee in July and August.
Upon assuming the post following the recent election, Archival reported a projected deficit of P2 to P3 billion, which later rose to P6.843 billion, after reviewing City Hall’s financial standing after the June 30 transition of power.
With the reported budget deficit that might affect the city’s operations, Archival approached various transactions of the City Government, one of which was the renewal of appointments. This resulted in several casual and job order employees experiencing delays in their appointment papers.
The deliberation and approval of the 2025 annual budget was marred by controversy. The 16th Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) approved a P14.6 billion annual budget for 2025 in a special session on Dec. 2, 2024.
The approved budget was P3.3 billion less than the P17.9 billion proposed by then-Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia.
The final budget cut funding for four programs to just P1 each and zeroed out two others. Seven councilors opposed the budget. The special session, presided over by then-Acting Vice Mayor Archival, resulted in an 8-7 vote in favor of the P14.6 billion budget.
The budget drew P12.5 billion from the general fund and P2.1 billion from special accounts.
The 2025 budget included a P2.5 billion allocation for personal services, P10.7 billion for maintenance and other operating expenses, and P1.5 billion for capital outlay. Special accounts included P605 million for personal services, P634 million for maintenance and other operating expenses, and P720 million for capital outlay.
The previous SP approved a budget of P50 billion in 2023 and P25 billion in 2024 under the administration of then-mayor Michael Rama. / EHP