Cebu City has set aside up to P1 million in public funds to reimburse expenses for the Rotary District 3860 District Conference held in May at Nustar Resort Cebu, prompting council discussions over the lack of definitive guidelines for financial assistance to nongovernment organizations.
During council discussions, Councilor Harold Go questioned the absence of standards for distributing financial assistance and asked for data showing the conference's public benefit, while Councilor Nyza Archival defended the assistance by citing Rotary's longstanding partnership with Cebu.
The City Budget Office certified P1 million as available on July 3, and the City Treasurer issued a certificate of availability of funds on Aug. 7, though final reimbursements remain subject to City Hall accounting and processing requirements.
CEBU City has set aside up to P1 million in public funds to reimburse expenses from a Rotary conference held in May, but council discussions have exposed a gap in the city’s rules on how much financial assistance nongovernment organizations may receive.
The proposed reimbursement for the Rotary District 3860 District Conference 2026 was charged to the Office of the Mayor’s City Sponsored Activities–Other Activities account, with both the appropriation and funds certified as available.
What remains unclear, however, is the standard used by the City in determining which organizations qualify for assistance and how much they may receive.
Councilor Phillip Zafra acknowledged during the council discussion that “as of now, there is really no definitive guideline” governing the use of the fund. He said the Executive Department, through the Office of the Mayor, currently determines the subsidy based on its recommendation and approval.
The issue prompted Councilor Harold Go to ask whether the City has a standard that could also be applied to other nongovernment and civic organizations seeking financial assistance.
“Do we standardize this, or discretion ra gyud ni sa mayor kinsa iyang tagaan (is it really just up to the mayor’s discretion who he gives it to)?” Go asked.
Go later withdrew his formal objection to the Rotary reimbursement but asked that his concerns be entered into the record. He also moved to encourage accredited nongovernment organizations to seek assistance through the mayor’s office so that, he said, “fairness is observed.”
Resolution
City records show that the P1 million was already identified as available for financial assistance to Rotary International District 3860 months before the matter reached the Council.
A Certificate of Availability of Appropriation issued by the City Budget Office on July 3 certified that P1 million was available under the City Sponsored Activities–Other Activities of the Office of the Mayor account.
A separate Certificate of Availability of Funds, signed by the Office of the City Treasurer on Aug. 7, likewise certified P1 million in available funds for the purpose.
The Office of the Mayor then endorsed the project proposal, along with the two certificates, to Councilor Nyza “Nice” Archival on Aug. 14 for sponsorship of the corresponding resolution.
The proposed resolution states that Archival’s office received a letter from the Office of the Mayor on Aug. 17 requesting sponsorship of a resolution for the reimbursement.
The conference had been held in May at the Nustar Resort Cebu.
The documents identify the proposed assistance simply as “Financial Assistance to Rotary District 3860” amounting to P1 million.
They do not provide a detailed breakdown of the individual expenses to be reimbursed.
The resolution says the conference was intended to enhance leadership skills through keynote sessions and workshops and to foster fellowship and networking among Rotary members across the Visayas and Mindanao.
Rotary District 3860’s own materials identify the May 29-31 conference as Discon 2026 at Nustar Resort Cebu.
Criteria
The discussion moved beyond the Rotary request itself when Go questioned whether the same opportunity would be available to other organizations.
“Daghan man og lain-lain nga mga NGOs. Even Rafi is helping; Lions are helping. So why only specific to this chapter sa Rotary?” he said.
Go also asked for concrete information showing the conference’s public benefit.
“Where [are] the numbers? Where’s the actual accomplishment? Where’s the data?” he asked.
Archival, who sponsored the resolution, defended the assistance by citing Rotary’s longstanding partnership with Cebu and its involvement in projects involving public schools, libraries, communities, emergency response and health institutions.
The council discussion also drew support for establishing formal criteria. Association of Barangay Councils President Franklyn Ong backed the call for clearer qualifications for organizations seeking city assistance.
Zafra said the council could establish such rules through an ordinance or incorporate them into an annual budget ordinance.
The council’s action on the resolution should also be distinguished from an immediate release of P1 million to Rotary.
During the discussion, the chair clarified that the approved amount does not automatically mean Rotary will receive the full P1 million.
The reimbursement must still go through City Hall’s accounting and processing, with only eligible expenses qualifying for payment.
This means the council action provides authority for the funding charge, but the final amount to be reimbursed remains subject to the City’s processing requirements. / CAV