SunStar
Aboitiz rolls out P3.3M home aid
FOR 69-year-old Lucia Agarao, the rebuilding assistance from Aboitiz Foundation that was distributed Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, will be of tremendous help, as her house had cracks after the magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck northern Cebu in September.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/aboitiz-rolls-out-p33m-home-aid
Cebu floods demand green fixes
CEBU has to venture on its next flood interventions not only on river-channel widening and drainage upgrades but with watershed rehabilitation such as reforestation and the establishment of buffer zones and retention basins, an expert said on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/cebu-floods-demand-green-fixes
Why data, not drainage, Is key to fix water access
THE challenge of securing a steady, clean water supply for Cebu’s rapidly growing population is not about scarcity alone; it’s about fragmentation. Recent calls from the Department of Science and Technology (Dost) 7 urging local government units (LGUs) to adopt a single, science-based water security assessment tool highlight a fundamental tension: How can the province solve its interconnected problems — from flooding to daily water scarcity — when interventions are siloed and stop at political boundaries?
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/why-data-not-drainage-is-key-to-fix-water-access
First Visayan lawyer joins ICC List of Counsel
CEBUANO lawyer Rameses “Ram” Victorius Gatchalian Villagonzalo has been admitted to the International Criminal Court (ICC) List of Counsel, becoming the first from Cebu and the entire Visayas region, and only the sixth Filipino to be granted the accreditation.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/first-visayan-lawyer-joins-icc-list-of-counsel
National ban forces e-trikes off highways
THE exploding popularity of electric bikes and tricycles (e-bikes and e-trikes) — hailed as affordable, convenient and eco-friendly transport — has created a conflict with one of the most fundamental laws of the road: safety and traffic flow on major thoroughfares. The government’s move to ban these units from major roads nationwide starting Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, brings to the forefront the balance between highway safety and the livelihoods of low-income riders who rely on them.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/national-ban-forces-e-trikes-off-highways
Cebu City volunteers bring hope to Talisay school
Members of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps clear debris from the Biasong Elementary School.Volunteers scrub mud off chairs at Biasong Elementary School.A volunteer removes thick mud from a stairway at Biasong Elementary School.A child stands outside the main entrance of Biasong Elementary School, where classes remain suspended as clearing continues and several classrooms remain damaged.A mud-filled classroom at Biasong Elementary School.One of the classrooms destroyed by the flooding brought by typhoon Tino on Nov. 4, 2025.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/cebu-city-volunteers-bring-hope-to-talisay-school
Pasko sa Mandaue 2025 mirrors city’s resilience
MANDAUE City Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano opened the annual Christmas Lighting Ceremony on Friday night, Nov. 28, 2025, reminding residents of the strength and unity that carried the city through recent disasters.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/pasko-sa-mandaue-2025-mirrors-citys-resilience
Mandatory Airbus upgrade triggers flight cancellations
CEBU became among the first airports to feel the impact of a nationwide wave of cancellations on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, as carriers grounded Airbus aircraft for a mandated software upgrade.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/mandatory-airbus-upgrade-triggers-flight-cancellations
Guv defends prototype testing amid budget hearing queries
GOV. Pamela Baricuatro clarified that the sea ambulance seen in provincial medical missions is merely a prototype under testing and has not been purchased or rented by the Capitol yet.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/guv-defends-prototype-testing-amid-budget-hearing-queries
Ex-officials charged in P240M trash scam
WHEN the mundane process of paying for trash collection allegedly becomes a mechanism for large-scale financial abuse, officials must answer for negligence that reportedly cost government millions of pesos.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/ex-officials-charged-in-p240m-trash-scam
Groups rally in Cebu on Bonifacio Day against corruption
PROGRESSIVE groups in Central Visayas continued their campaign against government corruption as Bayan Central Visayas held a march-rally on Sunday, November 30, 2025, coinciding with the 162nd birth anniversary of national hero Andres Bonifacio.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/groups-rally-in-cebu-on-bonifacio-day-against-corruption
DTI’s P500 budget for Noche Buena
‘unrealistic’
SOME Cebu City residents criticized the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) proposed P500 Noche Buena budget, saying the amount is not enough to prepare a traditional Christmas meal amid rising prices of basic goods.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/dtis-p500-budget-for-noche-buena-unrealistic
Cebu City Council OKs epayment ordinance
THE Cebu City Council passed the ePayment Ordinance on Nov. 25, 2025, authorizing the City Government to accept taxes, fees and fines via digital platforms. This legislation modernizes local collections by incorporating bank-based systems and e-wallets to reduce face-to-face transactions while maintaining physical payment options for those who prefer cash or checks.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/cebu-city-council-oks-epayment-ordinance
Mayor: Force majeure to blame
for flood control wall collapse
IT WAS a force majeure that caused the collapse of a flood control wall in Barangay Kang-actol in the southwestern town of Dumanjug, Cebu and not substandard construction, Mayor Efren Guntrano “Gungun” Gica assured on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/mayor-force-majeure-to-blamefor-flood-control-wall-collapse
10K join anti-graft rally in Cebu
AN ESTIMATED 10,000 people joined the Sugboanong Pakigbisug Kontra Korapsyon (SuPaKK) rally led by Cebu Archbishop Alberto “Abet” Uy and various civil society groups on Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/10k-join-anti-graft-rally-in-cebu
1K in San Remigio told to evacuate
THE relocation of a thousand residents in a single town, not because of fire or flood, but due to fissures opening in the earth, reveals a critical tension in disaster management: how do we protect communities when the very ground beneath them turns against them?
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/1k-in-san-remigio-told-to-evacuate
CPAC head defends Cebu’s proposed sea ambulance amid pricing, legality questions
CEBU People’s Action Center (CPAC) head Ruben Licera defended on Sunday, November 30, 2025, the Provincial Government’s proposed sea ambulance project, saying claims that the vessel is “overpriced” are based on misinformation and inaccurate comparisons.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/cpac-head-defends-cebus-proposed-sea-ambulance-amid-pricing-legality-questions
Cebu City cuts Sinulog 2026 budget to P78M, redirects savings to Tino recovery programs
CEBU City has trimmed its Sinulog 2026 budget from the originally proposed P100 million down to P78 million, with the difference redirected to rehabilitation and recovery programs for communities affected by Typhoon Tino.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/cebu-city-cuts-sinulog-2026-budget-to-p78m-redirects-savings-to-tino-recovery-programs
Baricuatro faces new complaint over sea ambulance claims
CEBU Governor Pamela Baricuatro is facing another administrative complaint, this time for allegedly issuing false statements about the Province’s acquisition of a sea ambulance.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/baricuatro-faces-new-complaint-over-sea-ambulance-claims
Cebu City to give P15K to regular,
casual employees, 5K to JO staff
CEBU City Hall employees are set to receive their Christmas bonuses this year, with regular and casual workers each getting P15,000, while job order (JO) personnel will receive P5,000.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/cebu-city-to-give-p15k-to-regular-casual-employees-5k-to-jo-staff
Heavy rains cause severe flooding
SEVERE flooding and heavy traffic swept across several areas in Lapu-Lapu City after torrential rainfall, measuring 114 millimeters (mm), disrupted public transportation and local mobility Monday, Dec. 1, 2025.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/heavy-rains-cause-severe-flooding
New formula, same old pork?
THE Supreme Court (SC) banned the notorious Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), widely known as pork barrel, a decade ago. Yet, a new investigative report suggests that a mechanism functionally similar to it is thriving, deeply embedded within the national budget.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/new-formula-same-old-pork
Lying charge filed against Baricuatro
CEBU Gov. Pamela Baricuatro is facing an administrative complaint filed by the brother of a former governor for allegedly making false statements about the province’s proposed sea ambulance.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/lying-charge-filed-against-baricuatro
Cebu’s first ICC-accredited counsel clarifies: No political ties
NEWLY accredited International Criminal Court (ICC) counsel Rameses Victorius “Ram” Villagonzalo issued a clarification to dispel political assumptions surrounding his inclusion in the ICC List of Counsel.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/cebus-first-icc-accredited-counsel-clarifies-no-political-ties
Mandaue City Council approves 2026 budget
THE Mandaue City Council has approved the City’s annual budget for 2026, according to City Administrator Gonzalo “Sally” Malig-on.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/mandaue-city-council-approves-2026-budget
Councilor proposes ‘Calesa de Sugbo’ ordinance
A CEBU City councilor is proposing a new ordinance to regulate the operation of horse-drawn carriages, and preserve them as a cultural asset.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/councilor-proposes-calesa-de-sugbo-ordinance
Flood-exposed students monitored
MORE than 700 students of Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base Elementary School in Barangay Pajo, Lapu-Lapu City, have been exposed to floodwaters following the heavy downpour that lasted for around three hours on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/flood-exposed-students-monitored
Cebu City okays P13.4B budget
for 2026, P4.5B for Mandaue
THE Cebu City Council has approved the city’s proposed 2026 annual budget amounting to P13.4 billion, focusing on streamlined spending, manpower rationalization, and fiscal sustainability.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/cebu-city-okays-p134b-budget-for-2026-p45b-for-mandaue
PB seeks P18M to repair quake-hit heritage churches
THE Cebu Provincial Board (PB) approved a resolution on Monday calling on Governor Pamela Baricuatro to allocate government funds for the repair of nine heritage churches in northern Cebu. These structures suffered damage during a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck the region on Sept. 30, 2025.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/pb-seeks-p18m-to-repair-quake-hit-heritage-churches
Coalition seeks zoning overhaul in Cebu City
URBAN growth usually signals economic health, but in Cebu City, recent disasters suggest that expansion has outpaced the land’s physical capacity to support it. The devastation wrought by typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) has reignited a critical debate over whether decades of zoning “variances” — exceptions to the rule — have manufactured a permanent hazard for residents.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/coalition-seeks-zoning-overhaul-in-cebu-city
COA flags Capitol's P136M bonuses in 2024 for incomplete documents
THE Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the Cebu Provincial Government for releasing over P136 million in bonuses and incentives to officials and employees in 2024 without complete documentation, preventing auditors from verifying whether the payments complied with applicable laws and regulations.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/coa-flags-capitols-p136m-bonuses-in-2024-for-incomplete-documents
SRP drainage, traffic plans underway
WORK on the long-delayed drainage master plan for the South Road Properties (SRP) officially began on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025, to address long-standing flooding issues in Cebu City’s premier economic zone.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/srp-drainage-traffic-plans-underway
4 Province-run hospitals flagged for waste management violations
STATE auditors have flagged four hospitals by the Cebu Provincial Government for violating Department of Health (DOH) standards on healthcare waste disposal, warning that these lapses pose risks to public health and the environment.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/4-province-run-hospitals-flagged-for-waste-management-violations
3 Capitol projects sit unused
THREE public infrastructure projects in Cebu Province — completed between five and seven years ago at a total cost of P50.4 million — have remained idle and unused, the Commission on Audit (COA) reported.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/3-capitol-projects-sit-unused
Month after 'Tino': Cebu's recovery still unfinished
ONE month after typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) battered Cebu, clearing operations and power restoration continue while thousands remain displaced.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/month-after-tino-cebus-recovery-still-unfinished
Missing docs, P78K baggage fees cloud Capitol’s 2024 trips
THE Commission on Audit (COA) flagged irregularities amounting to P6.8 million in foreign travel expenses incurred by the Cebu Provincial Government in 2024.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/missing-docs-p78k-baggage-fees-cloud-capitols-2024-trips
RDC 7 urges DPWH: Pursue dam studies
THE Regional Project Monitoring Committee (RPMC) of the Regional Development Council (RDC) 7 has asked the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Central Visayas to proceed with feasibility studies and detailed engineering designs for proposed dams in Metro Cebu. During its fourth-quarter meeting at the Capitol building on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, the committee also recommended revisiting and updating the 2017 Metro Cebu Integrated Flood Control and Drainage System Master Plan to address the region’s severe flooding issues.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/rdc-7-urges-dpwh-pursue-dam-studies
MCWD execs face corruption complain
AN EMPLOYEE has accused top officials of the Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD) of corruption, favoritism and mismanagement in a three-page complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/mcwd-execs-face-corruption-complain
MCWD lacks functional board
THE Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) is operating without the legal ability to pass resolutions or award contracts due to a lack of board members.
Read the full article here:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/mcwd-lacks-functional-board