SEVERAL mayors from Cebu’s Fifth District requested Foreign Travel Authority (FTA) from the Office of the Governor just days before Typhoon Tino struck the province on the early morning of Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025.
Atty. Restituto “Resti” Arnaiz, legal counsel to the Governor’s Office, confirmed on Tuesday, Nov. 4, that the requests were filed for personal reasons during the first week of November (Nov. 1–7, if he recalled correctly).
“Yes, I confirmed that there were mayors who requested travel authority,” Arnaiz stated.
Governor Pamela Baricuatro signed and approved the requests. However, Arnaiz clarified he could only confirm the approval, not whether the mayors actually departed the country.
Local chief executives must seek the governor’s approval for both personal and official trips. Since the reasons stated were personal, the travel expenses will not be charged to government funds. / CDF