FIVE days before assuming office, Cebu Gov.-elect Pamela Baricuatro stated on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, that her camp was still awaiting essential documents from outgoing Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.
In an interview with reporters, the first-time politician revealed that accessing financial statements and documents detailing past, pending and existing transactions, programs, and projects of the Provincial Government remains a significant challenge for her transition team. The team’s request for the transfer or access to sensitive documents at the Capitol was made to ensure a smooth turnover of power and responsibility when Baricuatro assumed office on Monday, June 30.
Baricuatro reiterated her frustration on Wednesday regarding Garcia’s transition team’s refusal to meet her team before June 30.
“Naglangoy mi (We are swimming) on our own. Treading waters. Nothing’s happening but we are waiting,” Baricuatro said, adding that her team is actively working on legally securing documents to determine the current state of Capitol operations.
Garcia’s transition team has scheduled the turnover of documents for Monday, although it remains unclear if the outgoing governor will be present.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) Memorandum 2025-016, which mandates the formation of a Local Governance Transition Team (LGTT), does not specify a date for a meeting between the transition teams of incoming and outgoing local chief executives before the June 30 assumption. The directive merely states that outgoing local chief executives play a primary role in the transition process, and a transition team of an incoming local chief executive is not part of the LGTT.
Seeking guidance
On the same day, Baricuatro met with outgoing Vice Gov. Hilario Davide III at his office in the Provincial Legislative Building and briefly visited the offices of the DILG, Department of Agrarian Reform and the Commission on Audit.
During her meeting with Davide, Baricuatro sought guidance on governance matters, including his expertise on Local Government Unit healthcare.
Last Monday, June 23, Davide urged the next Provincial Board (PB) to support Baricuatro ahead of the leadership transition. Most members of the incoming PB are aligned with the One Cebu Party, led by Garcia. The PB’s incoming presiding officer is Glenn Soco, Garcia’s running mate in the May 12 midterm elections.
Baricuatro defeated Garcia in the polls, preventing the latter from securing a third consecutive term (sixth overall) as governor.
Edmund Lao, head of Baricuatro’s transition team, told SunStar Cebu in a phone interview on Wednesday that it would take at least one week for the team to thoroughly review and assess all crucial documents.
Lao said that an executive briefing with department heads of the Provincial Capitol is scheduled for July 3.
He added that on Friday, June 27, his transition team will meet with DILG Cebu Provincial Director Robert Jesus Sastrillo Jr. to finalize the formal turnover on Monday.
Reviewing the documents is an administrative function of the governor’s office, Lao explained. He said that while documents are received and checked, understanding their full significance takes time. During the July 3 meeting, Lao said the new administration will be briefed on the state of Capitol operations based on the available documents.
Regarding the signing of documents, Lao said Baricuatro is expected to sign executive orders on June 30 related to organizational matters, including the local health board and personnel selection board. However, checks and vouchers will not be signed immediately. Baricuatro has yet to meet with the local finance committee to review the Province’s financial situation.
Lao said they aim for the governor-elect to begin disbursement-related work within a week of assuming office to prevent delays.
In a statement on Wednesday, Baricuatro’s transition team confirmed that the DILG has provided a secured platform for transferring non-sensitive files and facilitated limited cooperation from a few department heads. However, the outgoing Provincial Government has yet to complete the uploading of the required documents to the DILG transition portal, Baricuatro’s team reported. / EHP