No buffet, just ‘pika-pika’ in Cebu City Council’s inaugural session

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NO catered buffet, no grand venue, and no public funds used.

Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival Sr. and Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña said they “personally” paid for the expenses of the City Council’s inaugural session on July 8, 2025.

The event, which formally opened the first session of the newly seated 17th Sangguniang Panlungsod, did not cost the city government a single peso.

Instead of the usual banquet reception, guests were served simple ‘pika-pika” dishes inside the social hall of the Legislative Building.

“Today, ZERO taxpayer money was used to fund the reception of the Inaugural Session,” Osmeña posted on Facebook. “No lavish buffet, just simple merienda dishes for our families and guests. At BOPK, we lead by example and we practice what we preach!”

The recent inaugural reception marked a significant departure from the previous three years, during which the city had spent hundreds of thousands of pesos.

According to a report, the city spent P300,000 in both 2022 and 2023, and P490,000 in 2024. However, in 2025, the city did not allocate any funds for the inaugural reception.

The decision to forego government spending comes in light of the city’s financial challenges. In his speech during the session, Archival said that Cebu City is facing a projected budget deficit of P6.8 billion for 2025.

Speaking to reporters before the session, Archival said the figure was based on consultations with the City Treasurer’s Office and the City Accounting Office. The city has about P9 billion in available funds and revenue, but projected expenses are expected to reach P19.7 billion.

“Ang rason man gud ani, dako kaayo atong gihimo nga budget unya gamay ra kaayo ang revenue nga nisulod,” Archival said.

A report by transition team member Emma Villarete showed that P3.5 billion in additional revenue is expected before the year ends, but this will still fall short of the city’s total obligations.

One of the most pressing concerns is the city’s ballooning personnel cost. Archival said Cebu City has over 8,500 employees, with a projected P1.2 billion needed for salaries from July to December 2025. Job Order (JO) employees alone would cost about P497 million if current numbers are retained.

Because of this, the city has begun trimming its workforce. Human Resource Development Office head Henry Tomalabcad previously confirmed that about 1,400 of the city’s 3,000 casual workers have not had their contracts renewed.

Archival also said JO numbers will be reduced.

To formalize the policy, Archival issued a memorandum on June 30, implementing a “No Appointment, No Work” rule effective July 1.

It bars casual and project-based personnel from reporting to work unless they hold formal appointments. The directive cites Section 22, Rule VI of the 2017 Omnibus Rules on Appointments, which states that services rendered without proper appointment are invalid and non-payable.

Despite the cuts, Archival said essential workers such as garbage collectors, street sweepers, and Barangay Health Workers were immediately renewed due to their importance to daily city operations.(TGP)