The Freeman
‘Ready for ASEAN’
Barely a week after the celebration of the Sinulog Festival, security personnel are now gearing up to enforce safety measures, this time for an international event that Cebu City will be hosting. During the ceremonial sendoff held yesterday, January...
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Ancillary Sinulog and Santo Niño Trivia
Did you know that in as much as the devotion to the Santo Niño de Cebu is widelyknown, it is not the only infant Jesus image venerated by devotees? Did you also know that in as much as the Sinulog is widelyregarded as the grandest festival of its class...
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Segregation policy moved
“We were supposed to start January 1 to 15 with information dissemination, then January 16 to 30 for the dry run, and February 1 for the actual implementation. However, there were problems—wa na tay kalabayan, and we also have Sinulog. So what we are...
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Council honors Binaliw heroes
Following the tragic landfill collapse at the Prime Waste Solutions Facility in Barangay Binaliw on January 8, the Cebu City Council passed a series of resolutions expressing grief over the lives lost and praising the courage of individuals who...
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Water future in jeopardy
Cebu’s water supply is at a critical juncture, with energy advocates warning that its current system is too fragile to withstand disruptions due to heavy dependence on an unstable power grid. The Cebu Energy Resilience Alliance (CERA) emphasized that...
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Archival: Sinulog very successful
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival, spearheading the Sinulog 2026 celebration for the first time as overall chairman of the Sinulog Executive Committee, declared the event “very successful,” emphasizing that the grand parade ended on time, the festivities...
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Over 5.2M join Sinulog
The festive spirit filled the streets of Cebu City as more than 5.2 million people joined t he various activities of Sinulog 2026 on Sunday, January 18, with authorities reporting a generally peaceful celebration. “Generally peaceful so far ang atong...
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‘Historic milestone’
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who graced the launching event, bannered it as a breakthrough in Philippine shipbuilding for global push toward greener maritime transport. As rain fell over the West Estate Special Economic Zone in Balamban...
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“State of Calamity”
The Cebu City Council on Tuesday, January 13, declared a state of calamity following a massive garbage landslide at the Binaliw Sanitary Landfill that has killed 13 people, with 23 others still missing and feared dead. The Council also declared...
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‘Hoping for miracle’
As the death toll from the Binaliw landslide climbed to six with 30 persons still missing, Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council chairman, City Councilor Dave Tumulak, expressed hope for miracles amid ongoing rescue operations for...
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Fiesta Señor opens
Cebu City woke up at the break of dawn yesterday to a flowing tide of prayers and candlelight as devotees of Señor Santo Niño filled the streets in a solemn yet vibrant display of faith and unity during the annual Penitential Walk with Jesus, marking...
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No business tax increase
Mayor Nestor Archival has assured business owners in Cebu City that no increase in business taxes will be imposed in 2026, underscoring the city government’s commitment to easing business operations and strengthening investor confidence. Archival said...
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Discaya, 8 DPWH Davao officials move to quash charges, warrants
Contractor Sarah Discaya, along with eight officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Davao Occidental District Engineering Office, yesterday filed before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) branch 27 in Lapu-Lapu City motions to...
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Lone better from Compostela, Cebu bags P288.6M Grand Lotto jackpot
A bettor in Compostela, Cebu emerged as the lone winner of the hefty ₱288.6 million Grand Lotto 6/55 jackpot during the draw held Saturday night, Jan. 3. Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) General Manager and Vice Chairman of the Board...
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Cebu facing power crisis
The Cebu Electricity Rights Advocates (CERA) issued a stark warning that Cebu is entering a “critical” energy phase in 2026, a situation that could cripple the local economy and compromise public safety, particularly fire protection. CERA convenor...
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New Year revelry peaceful
There were accidents and medical cases reported, and few fireworks-related injuries, but the spirit of the festivities remained intact. The Police Regional Office-7 (PRO-7) reported that concluding the year 2025 and the welcoming the year 2026 were...
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Unity amid uncertainty
Following a tumultuous 2025 characterized by political upheaval, natural disasters, and economic turbulence, Cebu’s business leaders are entering 2026 with a determined mindset. The atmosphere reflects not reckless optimism but rather cautious...
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Stricter rules for Sinulog ‘26
Contingents joining Sinulog 2026 are set to face an added challenge under new guidelines issued by the Sinulog Foundation Inc. (SFI), which call for stricter discipline, tighter schedules, and full compliance with rules aimed at improving order and...
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No signal jamming
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival has disclosed that there will be no signal jamming during the Sinulog Grand Parade and Showdown at the Cebu City Sports Center on January 18, 2026. In an exclusive interview on Monday, Archival said that this measure...
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Route issues flagged ahead
With the Sinulog festivities approaching, Mayor Nestor Archival has assured Cebuanos that preparations are "so far, so good," despite encountering some challenges that need to be addressed before the processions and grand parade occur. During a press...
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A total of 480 newly-appointed police officers,
composed of patrolmen and patrolwomen, took their oath last Friday at the Police Regional Training Center-7 in Barangay Jugan, Consolacion, Cebu. The recruits include 350 from the attrition program and 130 under the regular recruitment quota for 2025....
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Digital shift at Capitol
The Cebu Provincial Government has made progress in modernizing public service delivery with the passage of an ordinance aimed at institutionalizing digital governance throughout the province. The ordinance, known as the Cebu Province Digital Services...
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Legal problem plagues CLUP
The Cebu City government’s effort to finalize its comprehensive land use plan (CLUP) and zoning ordinance is facing renewed scrutiny, with environmental planner Augusto B. Agosto warning of “serious legal red flags” as the City Council and Mayor Nestor...
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PB OKs ₱11.9B annual budget
With the budget ordinance yet to pass third and final reading, the Capitol will begin the new year operating under a reenacted budget until the measure is fully approved. The board tackled the proposed budget on second reading before adjourning for the...
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No VIP treatment
BJMP spokesperson, Jail Superintendent Jayrex Joseph Bustinera told The Freeman that normal protocols will be imposed on the nine individuals who are accused and jailed in connection with the P96.5-million ghost flood control project in Davao...
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Arraignment set for Jan. 5
Arraignment of detained Sarah Discaya, flood control project contractor, and eight officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Davao Occidental District Engineering Office is scheduled for January 5 next year at the Lapu-Lapu City...
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Lapu-Lapu hosts Discaya hearing
The National Bureau of Investigation–Central Visayas Regional Office (NBI-CEVRO) confirmed that contractor Sarah Discaya and eight officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Davao Occidental District Engineering Office arrived in...
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Pam opposes EV taxi permit
Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro has strongly opposed the provisional authority granted to Green & Smart Mobility, which plans to deploy 600 electric vehicle (EV) taxi units in Cebu Province. In her official Facebook post, Baricuatro clarified that her...
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Upland dev’t moratorium
Cebu City is at a crossroads as environmental concerns and planning mandates converge into a decisive call for action. In a privilege speech before the 17th Sangguniang Panlungsod yesterday, City Councilor Joel Garganera, who chairs the committee on...
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Mandaue one of richest cities
Topping the nationwide list is Quezon City, with total assets of ₱489.95 billion, followed by Makati City with ₱246.10 billion, third is Manila City with ₱92.81 billion, fourth is Taguig City (₱54.17 billion), and fifth is Pasig City (₱54.77 billion).
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Cebu still richest province
COA data showed that Cebu posted total assets of over ₱339.85 billion, far surpassing other provinces nationwide and underscoring its position as a major economic hub in the country. Trailing Cebu by a wide margin is Rizal, which reported assets...
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Unliquidated cash advances
The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the Cebu provincial government’s ₱44.71 million in unliquidated cash advances, including ₱32.13 million that have remained dormant for more than 10 years. In its 2024 annual audit report, COA said the...
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52 bundles of ukay-ukay seized; vendor arrested
At least 52 bundles of assorted secondhand clothing, locally known as “ukay-ukay,” were confiscated from a female vendor, who was arrested, during a joint entrapment operation inside a warehouse in Barangay Tipolo, Mandaue City. The entrapment was...
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CBRT faces delay
Now in the final stretch of the year, the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project, hailed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as a “Christmas gift to Cebu” during its groundbreaking in February 2023, has once again seen its launch postponed. In his latest...
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COA: ₱10M unliquidated
The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged ₱10.12 million worth of unliquidated cash advances granted to officials and employees of Minglanilla municipal government, citing violations of government accounting rules. Based on its 2024 Annual Audit...
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Gaps in MCWD records - COA
Recently, the Commission on Audit (COA) reported finding billions of pesos in unreconciled property records, unsubmitted inventories, and misstatements related to cash and receivables. Additionally, there are ongoing compliance gaps concerning...
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Bill seeks to abolish Estate Tax
Cebu City North District Representative Rachel Marguerite “Cutie” del Mar has filed House Bill No. 6535, also known as the “Estate Tax Abolition Act of 2025,” seeking to repeal all provisions in the National Internal Revenue Code that impose estate...
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PB urges Pam: Help churches
Under the PB proposal, each of the nine identified churches will receive P2 million in aid. These are: Sts. Peter and Paul Parish Church in Bantayan; Capelinha de Fatima Replica in San Remigio; St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish Church in Kawit, Medellin;...
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Byron sues Pam
For the third time in a span of less than a month, Byron Garcia filed a criminal-complaint against Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro, this time over the ongoing renovation of the Governor’s Office at the Capitol’s Executive Building, a project worth ₱2.6...
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CEBU CITY IN 2024 AUDIT COA: Billions in fund lapses
The Commission on Audit (COA), in its 2024 audit of the Cebu City Government, has flagged billions of pesos in irregular expenditures, ballooning garbage costs, idle medical equipment, unliquidated barangay and NGO funds, questionable procurement...
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Cebu City okays ₱13.4B budget
The Cebu City government has approved its 2026 Budget of ₱13.4 billion, the lowest in four years and a clear signal of the Archival administration’s pivot to fiscal restraint. The appropriation, passed after more than half a month of deliberation by...
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Ex-ADB consultant pushes urgent review of city’s CLUP
A former consultant of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has called on Cebuanos to support an immediate review of Cebu City’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) and Zoning Ordinance following the massive devastation left by Typhoon Tino. Economist and...
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Mandaue City youth mandated to plant trees before graduation
Before marching up the stage to receive their certificates of completion, graduating senior high school and college students in Mandaue City may soon be required to plant trees as part of a new environmental initiative of the city government. This...
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‘Graft destroys nation’s future’
Cebu Archbishop Alberto Uy delivered a forceful call for moral renewal and systemic reform during the Sugboanong Pakigbisog Kontra Korapsyon (SuPaKK) rally, urging the over 8,000 Cebuanos in attendance to reflect on the enormous cost of graft and to...
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Cebu joins rally vs corruption
All is set for the anticorruption rally today in Cebu. The police are now on full alert status and will be imposing maximum tolerance to maintain public safety and security during the conduct of protest-related activities, as thousands of people are...
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100% passing, 41 topnotchers
The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) had earlier rescheduled the conduct of the exams in Cebu from 4 and 5 November to 6 and 7 November, 2025, after the state weather bureau raised Storm Signal No. 4 over Cebu, Iloilo, and Tacloban. Under PRC...
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A street vendor balances two buckets
on a shoulder pole as he walks past a striking mural that reads “CORRUPTION KILLS!” The artwork depicts drowning hands reaching from murky waters, a reality that underscores the deadly consequences of systemic abuse.
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‘Zero casualty’
Some parts of southern Cebu were inundated as Tropical Depression Verbena dumped intense rains across several towns and cities at dawn on Tuesday, even as Metro Cebu and the northern municipalities continue to reel from the devastation caused by...
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Archival cancels trip to Japan due to Verbena
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival has cancelled his scheduled trip to Yokohama, Japan, where he was set to speak at the Smart Cities Conference, choosing instead to remain in the city as a weather disturbance approaches. Archival announced the decision...
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Liloan parish reconsecrated
Cebu Archbishop Alberto S. Uy presided over the eucharistic celebration marking the reconsecration and reopening of the San Fernando Rey (SFR) Parish in Lilo-an, Cebu, nearly a month after the church was rendered desecrated and temporarily closed due...
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Comelec: Rama not qualified
The Comelec First Division has ruled that former Cebu City Mayor Michael “Mike” Rama was disqualified to run in the May 2025 National and Local Elections, because his removal from office through an administrative case rendered him ineligible to seek...
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Duke,7execs face charges
Fifth District Rep. Vincent “Duke” Frasco and seven municipal mayors under his district are facing criminal and administrative complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman for the Visayas for allegedly abandoning their constituents during the...
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DILG probes foreign travels
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) central office has directed the Cebu provincial government to submit all records of foreign travel authorities (FTAs) granted to local chief executives and officials in the province, for...
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Classes suspended
Malacañang yesterday (Nov. 9) issued Memorandum Circular No. 106, ordering the suspension of work in government offices and classes in multiple regions of the country today (Nov. 10), as the nation braces for the impact of Super Typhoon “Uwan.” The...
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DENR launches probe into Monterrazas dev’t project
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has launched an investigation into the Monterrazas de Cebu hillside development project in response to mounting reports from residents and local officials over flooding and slope instability...
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Relocation ordered
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM) has ordered the relocation of families severely affected by Typhoon Tino, particularly those living in identified no-build zones. In a situational briefing with Cebu provincial officials at the Cebu...
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Execs’ foreign travel assailed
A document obtained by The Freeman from the Cebu Provincial Government revealed that, earlier this month, eight local officials had filed for Foreign Travel Authority (FTA), which Governor Pamela Baricuatro had signed. Those who filed for leave were...
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Death toll rises to 111
The death toll in Cebu province from the onslaught of Typhoon Tino has climbed to at least 111, with dozens still missing as of yesterday, November 5, according to data from the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC)...
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48 dead, 29 missing
At least 48 people have been confirmed dead, while several others remain missing after Typhoon Tino dumped more than a month’s worth of rain, triggering landslides and what authorities describe as the worst flooding Cebu has experienced in recent...
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Storm cripples sea, air travels
Typhoon Tino cripples work and sea travel in Cebu and the Visayas, as the PAGASA warned residents in the region to brace for the weather phenomenon that continues to intensify, while moving westward. In its 5:00 p.m. regional weather forecast issued...
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Suspects in cop killing, wounding admit involvement
After more than a week of investigation into the shooting encounter that killed a police officer and wounded another, testimonies from the suspects have started to unveil what truly transpired in the Sudlon incident. In the presence of his legal...
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Peaceful Kalag-Kalag
While the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) reported a generally peaceful and orderly observance of Kalag-Kalag 2025, based on its inspection of cemeteries across the city yesterday (November 1), the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management...
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PNP, PCG enforce measures for safe, peaceful holidays
In line with the nationwide observance of Undas 2025, the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vow to intensify the security measures for a safe and peaceful commemoration of the All Saints’ and All Souls Days. PNP...
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Dark waters, lost income
More than 4,500 families in Negros Oriental are now reeling from the dire effects of the ethanol wastewater spill from a distillery plant in Bais City into the seas, following the collapse of the wall of the 20-hectare wastewater lagoon earlier this...
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Alcover sues Archival
Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover filed both criminal and administrative complaints against Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival and two other appointed officials concerning this matter. The two other officials are Cebu City Treasurer Emma Villarete and City...
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Pam named RDC chair
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has appointed Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro as chairperson of the Regional Development Council (RDC) for Central Visayas, despite her earlier decision to decline the nomination in favor of Cebu City Mayor Nestor...
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Cebu City steps up preparations
The Cebu City government is shifting into high gear in preparation for one of its most solemn and widely observed traditions—All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day, locally known as Kalag-Kalag. With thousands expected to visit cemeteries to honor their...
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Guba rejects WTE project
Notwithstanding another public hearing, this time with agencies to clarify concerns, the residents of Barangay Guba, Cebu City, remain adamant on giving their approval for the construction of the Waste-to Energy (WTE) facility in their area, citing...
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WB wants CBRT phase 1 resolved
With just over a year left before its major loan expires, the World Bank (WB) has urged the Philippine government to repackage or reassess the implementation of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) Package 1 first before considering support for the rest...
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‘Suspend water rate hike move’
The council approved a resolution filed by Councilor Sisinio Andales in its regular session this week, asking MCWD to defer the rate adjustment until communities have sufficiently recovered and economic conditions have stabilized.
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DOTr seeks NHCP nod
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) aims to obtain certification from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) confirming that the Capitol phase of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project does not violate heritage...
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Ombudsman clears Gwen
The Office of the Ombudsman has dismissed the graft complaint filed against former Cebu governor Gwendolyn “Gwen” Garcia, and Shalom Construction Inc. general manager Anthony James Limchesing in connection with the desilting project of the Mananga...
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Ombuds finds Rama “guilty”
The Office of the Ombudsman has found former Cebu City mayor Michael Rama guilty of four counts of oppression or grave abuse of authority and imposed on him a one-year suspension over the irregular reassignments of four City Hall employees that...
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Flu cases mount in quake shelters
The Cebu Provincial Health Office (PHO) has recorded a total of 249 cases of acute respiratory illnesses (ARI) or influenza afflicting people who are living in makeshift temporary shelters, in various local government units, after the Sept. 30...
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