Lawmaker says P65.5M aid for Cebu third district pending

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu’s third district is facing funding concerns this year, with P65.5 million in assistance for barangay frontliners and students still unreleased despite being earmarked in the 2026 national budget, according to Congresswoman Karen Garcia.

‎Garcia said the amount covers P12.108 million in assistance for barangay frontliners and P53.468 million in educational assistance for students.

The funds were intended to benefit 6,054 barangay frontliners from 230 barangays and 13,367 students enrolled in universities and state colleges in the district.

‎Garcia said the assistance had been released every October for the past seven years, but beneficiaries have yet to receive their allocations this year.

‎“For the past seven years, this assistance has always been released every October. Our frontliners and our students could count on it. Now November is almost over and there is still nothing,” Garcia said.

‎She expressed hope that the national government would still release the funds before the year ends.

‎The unreleased assistance comes as the district faces a reduction in its proposed 2027 budget allocation.

‎Based on BetterGov.ph data comparing the National Expenditure Program (NEP) with the House-approved version of the 2027 national budget, the third district's allocation was reduced by P332 million, leaving it with P222.2 million.

Garcia was among the lawmakers who voted against the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Fourth District Representative Sun Shimura, who also voted against the impeachment, likewise saw a P304.7 million reduction in the district’s proposed allocation, bringing it down to P264 million.

‎The third district's proposed 2027 allocation also excludes road projects, including maintenance work on the Transcentral Highway, a major route connecting Cebu City to Balamban.

‎The reported budget reductions have prompted the National Unity Party (NUP), of which Garcia is a member, to call for clearer standards in the allocation and release of funds under the 2027 national budget.

‎In a letter to House appropriations committee chairperson Mikaela Angela Suansing, NUP chairman Ronaldo V. Puno said budget decisions should be based on established laws and public needs rather than the discretion of officials overseeing the funds.

‎“Where a road is built, who receives medical assistance, and which student gets a scholarship should depend on law and on need, not on who is in favor,” Puno said.

‎He warned that using budget allocations to reward or penalize lawmakers based on their votes could undermine the purpose of the national budget.