Cebu legislative budget cut by P510M

CEBU CITY — The Office of the Legislative Branch (OLB) will operate on a P415-million budget in 2026, a significant drop from its 2025 budget of P925 million.

Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña, who heads the OLB, said the savings from the budget shall be redirected to medicines, scholarships and senior citizens’ assistance fund.

The cut will affect the city council, its secretariat and the Office of the Vice Mayor (OVM).

Osmeña said that the freed-up funds will go to programs with direct impact on ordinary residents.

“As head of the legislative, I am proud to announce that we will be saving over half a billion pesos in budget cuts compared to previous years,” Osmeña wrote in a social media post on Sept. 12.

The city council’s allocation will have a drop of 54 percent, from P606 million this year to P284 million in 2026.

Scrapped items include P168 million from the Legislative Support Fund Program, P100 million from the Comprehensive Capital Development Program and P50 million for the Archives Building.

The secretariat’s budget will shrink by 73 percent, from P179 million to P49 million.

Not carried over were P80 million for legislative building renovations and P20 million for the vice mayor’s gallery.

The OVM budget will also be reduced by 42 percent, from P140 million this year to P82 million in 2026, despite the inclusion of its flagship “Mayor of the Night” program.

A P77-million allocation for other maintenance and operating expenses, such as job order hiring and food provisions, was likewise scrapped.

Still, P30 million was retained for the solar panel installation at the legislative building, which is one of Mayor Nestor Archival’s priority projects.

Two new initiatives will also be funded: the Fund-Finding Commission and a 24/7 Help Desk.

Osmeña, meanwhile, has opted not to fill several plantilla positions in his office, saying it is his contribution to easing the city’s fiscal constraints.

The announcement came as the council debated for more aid to senior citizens.

Councilor Franklyn Ong called for a review of the program, while Minority Floor Leader Sisinio Andales raised concerns about fluctuating numbers of beneficiaries.

Archival earlier confirmed that the city is preparing a P11.5-billion budget for 2026, the lowest in five years.

He has ordered revenue-generating offices to step up collections without increasing real property tax rates and directed the Business Permit and Licensing Office to streamline renewals and register more businesses.