THE Cebu Provincial Board (PB) has approved the use of P473.58 million from the Province’s disaster risk reduction and management trust fund, following a review of compliance issues, timing concerns and inconsistencies in submitted documents.
The approval, made during deliberations on Monday, April 13, 2026, covers the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Investment Plan (LDRRMIP) as requested by Gov. Pamela Baricuatro; but only for unused funds covering 2021 to 2024.
A larger proposed amount of P542.3 million was reduced after the board excluded P68.7 million in 2020 funds, which were deemed beyond the allowable five-year usage period under Republic Act 10121.
Committee on budget and appropriations chair Celestino Martinez III said the reduction was necessary due to legal concerns and earlier findings that 2020 funds could no longer be included.
“Our lawyers said there is a small issue with the proposal. They pointed out that 2020 was included… when it could no longer be used,” Martinez said, referring to the five-year rule.
He added that while the plan had been endorsed by disaster and development councils, questions were raised about documentation and possible duplication of items such as vehicles, rescue equipment and logistics.
Martinez also pointed out inconsistencies in submitted documents, noting that different versions reflected different totals and signatures. He said some submissions still included 2020 funds despite earlier recommendations to remove them.
He further raised concern over the timing of the submissions, saying these were made late in the year and overlapped with other pending budget matters, making it difficult for the board to prioritize review.
Despite these issues, the PB ultimately approved the revised and reduced funding amount for implementation. / CDF