THE Office of the Governor and the Cebu Provincial Board (PB) should work together. This was the message of Gov. Pamela Baricuatro to local lawmakers during the PB’s inaugural session on Monday, July 7, 2025.
“I may be the governor, but dili ako ang Sugbo, dili inyo sa Sanggunian (Cebu is not mine, nor is it yours, members of the Sanggunian). But atong tanan, kuyog sa katawhan (it belongs to all of us, together with the people),” she said, addressing the PB, also known as the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
Allies
The PB is dominated by allies of former governor Gwendolyn Garcia, whom Baricuatro defeated in the midterm elections. Garcia’s ally, Glenn Soco, is the vice governor and the PB’s presiding officer.
Baricuatro laid out the legislative priorities she wants the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to support.
These priorities include the passage of ordinances on reclamation and Freedom of Information; revision of the Cebu Investment Code; an update of Revenue Code of Cebu; and the creation of a tourism department, a Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management department and a Provincial Investment and Promotion Office.
Baricuatro said these were not mere proposals, but “necessary reforms” to build the kind of Cebu that future generations would take pride in.
New committee chairs
Before Baricuatro delivered her speech, the PB opened its inaugural session for the 2025–2028 term and named its new majority floor leader, assistant floor leader and committee chairpersons.
PB Member Andrei “Red” Duterte (5th District) was appointed majority floor leader, while PB Member Kerrie Keanne Shimura (4th District) was named assistant floor leader.
During the session, the PB also announced the chairmanships of its various committees, which are tasked with leading legislative priorities across key sectors in the province.
Ex-officio PB Member Celestino “Tining” Martinez III, president of the Liga ng mga Barangay Cebu Chapter, will head three major committees: barangay affairs and rural development, budget and appropriations and waterworks systems and communications.
Duterte will chair the committees on public works, highways and infrastructure; tourism; and gender appreciation and development.
Other committee assignments:
Information and communications technology – Malcolm Sanchez (Mandaue City Lone District)
Public Health – Stanley Caminero (2nd District)
Public Safety, peace and order and dangerous drug abuse prevention – Alfred Francis Ouano (6th District)
Laws and review on ordinances – Nelson Mondigo (4th District)
Complaints and investigation – Nilo Seno (Mandaue City Lone District)
Provincial/municipal properties – Raymond Joseph Calderon (2nd District)
Agriculture and livelihood – Cesar Baricuatro (7th District)
Basic education – Calderon
Higher and technical education – Michael Joseph Villamor (5th District)
Youth and sports development – Loren Singco (president, Sangguniang Kabataan Federation Cebu Province)
Human Rights and Labor – Antonio Bacaltos Jr. (1st District)
Planning and Development – Bacaltos
Ways and Means – Villamor
Arts and Culture – Paz Rozgoni (7th District)
Women, Family and Minors – Lakambini Reluya (1st District)
Commerce and Industry – Reluya
Cooperatives – Mondigo
Accreditation – Shimura (4th District)
Senior Citizens – Julius Anthony Corominas (3rd District)
Ethics – Seno (Mandaue City Lone District)
Energy – Caminero
Traffic and transportation – Corominas
Foreign and local relations – Sanchez
Differently-abled persons – Dason Lorenz Lagon (3rd District)
The formal session marked the beginning of legislative work for the newly elected provincial officials, who are expected to pursue development programs and reforms under the new administration. / JPS