The Cebu City Council will examine the city’s 2027 revenue projections and a P15 billion deficit before reviewing department expenditures, starting with a hearing on Oct. 22, 2026.
Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña proposed the two-stage review to compare past collections with current targets, ensuring realistic estimates before approving allocations across city departments.
Mayor Nestor Archival submitted the proposed P15 billion budget on Oct. 7, allocating P7.06 billion to general public services, P4.49 billion to social services, and P1.09 billion to economic services.
CEBU City’s revenue projections for 2027 will be examined before the City Council deliberates on the proposed P15 billion budget, with the first hearing set for Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026.
Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña proposed the two-stage review during a session that approved the hearing schedule. He warned against a spending plan based on revenues the City may fail to collect.
Under his proposal, the council will first examine revenue projections and possible shortfalls and then take up the proposed expenditures.
Osmeña also asked City officials to explain how revenues would cover what he described as a P15 billion deficit.
He wants the opening hearing to compare previous collections with current figures to determine whether the City missed its revenue targets and whether its 2027 estimates are realistic. Shortfalls, he said, must be identified before the council decides how much funding each department receives.
First hearing
The Local Finance Committee, the City Planning and Development Office and the City Treasurer’s Office will appear at the first hearing, which runs from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The schedule was presented by Councilor Dave Tumulak, chair of the committee on budget and finance.
Councilors confirmed that the session would cover revenue projections and the deficit before the council proceeds to the proposed allocations.
Hearings will run through Nov. 26. Department heads from offices handling health, social welfare, public safety, transportation, engineering, environmental management and other city services are scheduled to defend their budget requests.
Role of full council
Osmeña said the budget review falls under the authority of the entire City Council, not only the budget committee. All councilors, he said, should be able to take part in the hearings and question proposed appropriations.
He also said the council should agree on a general plan for distributing available funds so that appropriations are not approved without a clear view of total spending.
P7.06B for public services
Mayor Nestor Archival submitted the proposed budget to the council on Oct. 7.
General public services would receive P7.06 billion, or about 47 percent of the total. Social services are allotted P4.49 billion and economic services P1.09 billion.
The proposal also sets aside P750 million for the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund, P851.47 million for the Local Development Fund, P750.89 million in aid to barangays and P10 million for miscellaneous expenses.
Medical center, vehicles
Among the administration’s priorities are completing the Cebu City Medical Center, strengthening solid waste management, buying service vehicles and upgrading government digital systems.
Archival’s chief of staff Kenneth Siasar earlier said the administration expected the council to approve the proposal because the allocations were based on needs identified by department heads. / CAV