THE Cebu Provincial Board (PB) Committee on Budget and Appropriations has recommended slashing the 2026 budgets for the Provincial Information Office (PIO) and Sugbo News.
During a session on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, the committee proposed cutting the PIO budget by P5 million due to “excessive” overtime pay, and reducing the Sugbo News allocation by P5.37 million for lacking sufficient public service justification.
These reductions are based on findings that current allocations exceeded legal limits or lacked detailed procurement plans, the committee report said.
In a report released on Dec. 10, the committee proposed cutting the PIO’s 2026 budget from P9.911 million to P4.911 million.
Under this budget, the allocation for Overtime and Night Pay was reduced by P3 million, or 49 percent, from P5.911 million to P2.911 million, while the proposed budget for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) equipment was slashed by P2 million, or 50 percent, from P4 million to P2 million.
The committee noted that the proposed overtime and night pay allocation was excessive as it was nearly equal to the total salaries and wages of the entire department.
It cited Civil Service Commission and Department of Budget and Management Joint Circular No. 2, series of 2015, which limits overtime pay to a maximum of 50 percent of an employee’s basic salary per year.
The committee also found the proposed ICT equipment budget excessive, as the PIO failed to provide details on the type and quantity of equipment to be procured.
“Thus, as of now, this committee finds it necessary to reduce the amount of allocation proposed subject to any request for supplemental budget once the concerned office will be able to show to this Committee the actual ICT equipment that they will procure for their purposes,” it said.
Sugbo News
Meanwhile, the committee also recommended reducing the proposed 2026 budget of Sugbo News from P11.745 million to P6.3725 million, or a P5.3725-million decrease.
The proposed cuts include 50 percent reductions in Other Supplies and Materials, Other Maintenance and Operating Expenses, Office Equipment, and Other Property. Sugbo News’ budget for ICT equipment was reduced by 75 percent, from P2 million to P500,000.
The committee said it found insufficient basis to allocate a significant amount to Sugbo News after the office head admitted that its main purpose is to assist the governor in relaying her message to the public, while all other provincial news and information are handled by the PIO.
“As admitted by the head of Sugbo News, the purpose of Sugbo News is to assist only the governor in relaying her message to the public. Further, it is admitted that all other news matters in relation to the province as a whole is handled by the PIO,” the committee said.
It added that such a function does not directly relate to the provincial government’s goal of providing services to the general public.
“On this note, the committee finds that there is insufficient basis to allocate a significant amount of the province’s budget for the said office. Such a purpose does not relate in any way to the goal of the provincial government of providing services to the general public,” the committee said.
The 2026 provincial annual budget was approved on second reading on Monday, Dec. 22, during the PB’s regular session. / CDF