2 Cebu lawmakers raise concern over 2027 national budget

Local

TWO lawmakers from Cebu have raised concerns over the P7.2-trillion 2027 national budget after the districts they represent received reduced allocations for next year.

Cebu 3rd District Rep. Karen Hope Garcia abstained from voting on the national budget while Cebu City North District Rep. Rachel Marguerite “Cutie” Del Mar voted against it.

In a statement, Garcia said she did not vote in favor of the 2027 national budget because she believed it was unfair to Cebu’s Third District.

However, she also did not vote against the budget because it funds public servants across the country, including teachers, police officers, and nurses, as well as medicines and disaster response programs.

Garcia said it was unfair for Cebu’s Third District to have its budget by 71%--down from P1.9 billion in 2026 to P550 million under the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

“From P1.9 billion for public works down to about P218 million for 2027. No flood mitigation, no new roads, no multipurpose buildings, no water systems for Toledo City, Aloguinsan, Asturias, Balamban, Barili, Pinamungajan, and Tuburan,” Garcia said.

She said the reduction was unfair to a district that had contributed significantly to the country, citing copper production in Toledo City, more than 12,000 shipyard jobs in Balamban, and 300 megawatts of power supplied to the Visayas. She said her district deserved more.

“I cannot vote for a budget that treats them as this one does,” Garcia said.

For Del Mar, the 2027 budget raised concerns about fairness, accountability, and the infrastructure needs of a highly urbanized city, particularly Cebu City’s North District.

Cebu City’s North District allocation declined as well from P1.774 billion under the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) to P1.306 billion in 2026 and just P492.250 million under the 2027 NEP, a 62.33% decrease from the 2026 allocation.

Del Mar said Cebu City’s North District, which is prone to flooding, needs flood-control infrastructure, drainage systems, and other essential infrastructure.

The lawmaker outlined her reasons for voting against the 2027 national budget, including the unreleased P642.958 million in funds for 2026 and the continuing hardships faced by her constituents because of recurring floods.

She furthered that her constituents deserved an explanation and transparency regarding the budget.

“I voted NO because I cannot ask my constituents to accept a drastically reduced allocation while their infrastructure needs remain unmet, their communities continue to endure flooding, and hundreds of millions of pesos in previous allocations remain unreleased or will reportedly no longer be released,” Del Mar said.

Del Mar was among the 13 lawmakers who voted against House Bill No. 10858. A total of 281 lawmakers voted in favor of the bill while one abstained.(MyTVCebu)