The Cebu Provincial Government poured P4.8 billion into healthcare infrastructure, equipment and services in its first year under Governor Pamela Baricuatro, as the administration simultaneously moved to tighten public financial management and build an investment pipeline around energy, water, waste management and other long-term infrastructure needs.
In her State of the Province Address, Baricuatro said the healthcare outlay was among the administration’s biggest investments during its first year, reflecting a strategy of directing more public resources toward essential services while addressing deficiencies in the province’s 16-hospital network.
The province also allocated close to P600 million for medicines, expanded its complement of doctors, nurses, medical technologists, pharmacists, and support personnel, and opened medical scholarships and residency programs to help build a longer-term pipeline of healthcare professionals.
One of the administration’s most significant operational gains, according to the governor, was the expansion of 24-hour laboratory services to all 16 provincial hospitals, from only four previously.
The provincial hospitals are also now accredited under PhilHealth’s YAKAP program, while the province has expanded medicine access through its Gamot Pharmacies, piloted longer outpatient hours and improved compliance with PhilHealth requirements across its hospital system.
‘For a patient whose emergency happens at midnight, that difference is not administrative. That difference can be life or death,’ Baricuatro said of the expansion in round-the-clock laboratory services.
Beyond healthcare, Baricuatro framed the first year of her administration as a rebuilding period for the province’s financial and operating systems.
The provincial government adopted a public financial management improvement plan, sought to improve the utilization of development funds, and mobilized resources so that priority programs would not be dependent on locally generated funds alone.
It also settled P63 million in obligations that had remained unpaid since 2018, with the governor noting that these liabilities also represented payments due to businesses that had fulfilled contracts and delivered services to the provincial government.
The administration also moved to improve procurement and project execution by taking bid openings online, streamlining procurement and contractor payments, and establishing an infrastructure project and management monitoring system.
Nearly P1 billion was likewise released directly to barangays and local government units during the year, while the province passed a Freedom of Information Ordinance and expanded digital options for frontline transactions.
For the governor, however, the broader objective is to use improved public-sector management as a platform for attracting and facilitating investments.
The provincial government has been engaging investors and development partners through energy projects, trade missions, tourism planning and business support initiatives, while promoting Cebu as an economic center for a wider and more diversified pool of investors.
The province has also facilitated private-sector investments in renewable energy, including solar and wind projects, and is pursuing long-term infrastructure solutions for water security, flood control and waste management.
A proposed integrated waste management facility for northern, central and southern Cebu is being supported by a feasibility study backed by Japan’s Ministry of Environment. ‘Cebu is open for business, and we welcome investment,’ Baricuatro said.
But she said the province’s investment policy would emphasize the quality and local impact of projects, calling on investors to create jobs for Cebuanos, help develop Cebuano-owned industries, use local resources responsibly, and comply with laws and environmental standards.
‘An economy is not inclusive because wealth enters Cebu. It is inclusive when opportunity reaches every Cebuano,’ she said.
The administration is also formulating Cebu’s Tourism Development Plan for 2027 to 2036, as it seeks to spread economic opportunities beyond established destinations while incorporating environmental protection and community interests into future tourism growth.
For the rest of 2026 and into next year, the province is targeting further healthcare and infrastructure investments, including the planned upgrade of the Argao and Malabuyoc district hospitals to Level 1 facilities.
It is also pursuing additional water supply capacity under its 10-year water security plan, with a target of 29 million liters per day from existing water treatment projects and another 15 million liters per day for Dalaguete, Pinamungajan and Alcantara by next year.
Baricuatro said the province would continue facilitating renewable energy investments and evaluating new infrastructure projects not only for their immediate benefits but also for their resilience against future disasters.
The challenge, she said, is to convert public spending, investment commitments and institutional reforms into a more durable growth model for Cebu-one that strengthens basic services while making the province more prepared for future economic and environmental pressures.
‘Our direction is clear,’ Baricuatro said.
‘From repair to readiness. From emergency response to prevention. From assistance to lasting opportunities,’ she added.