Pamela to assess Capitol’s resources

SETTING the tone for her incoming administration with a call for transparency and accountability, Governor-elect Pamela Baricuatro plans to conduct audits and reviews within the Capitol and across local government units under  the Province’s jurisdiction before officially assuming office. 

“My goal is to know what I have and what I can work on,” she told Karen Davila, anchor of Headstart of ANC 24/7, a YouTube channel, in an interview on Wednesday, May 14, 2025.   

Baricuatro said her goal is to assess the condition of the Province’s resources and operations to ensure a clear starting point for governance. 

Beyond the general audits, the governor-elect said she would investigate various provincial projects and issuances, including a river project that allegedly proceeded without an environmental compliance certificate (ECC).  

Baricuatro prevented Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia from securing a third straight term (sixth overall) in the May 12 midterm elections, defeating her in the gubernatorial race with 1,107,728 votes compared to Garcia’s 764,884 votes.

Review of executive orders

Among the projects to be scrutinized are several executive orders (EOs) affecting quarry operations, particularly those involving Apo Land and Quarry Corp. (ALQC) in Naga City, which Baricuatro said had claimed possession of an ECC when operations were halted.

Garcia had issued CDOs against ALQC through EO  22 on Dec. 2, 2024, followed by EO 2 on Jan. 10, 2025; EO 5 on Feb. 17 (effective Feb. 18); and EO 13 on March 24 (effective March 25). The company’s quarry site in Barangay Tinaan was the site of a deadly 2018 landslide that killed more than 70 people.

Another quarry operator, Solid Earth Development Corp. (SEDC) in San Fernando, was likewise subject to CDOs under EO 3 on Jan. 10, EO 6 on Feb. 18, and EO 14 in March.

Governor Garcia said in a press conference last March that she issued the cease-and-desist orders due to the companies’ unpaid provincial taxes and discrepancies in declared limestone extraction, based on drone surveys and academic studies.

During the interview with Davila, Baricuatro did not specify how she would conduct the audits before her term officially begins on June 30. 

The Omnibus Election Code states that elected officials assume office on June 30, following the election. Only after this date does the incoming official have the legal capacity to exercise powers, including oversight functions such as audits.     

Transition teams

Memorandum Circular 2025-016, issued on March 3, 2025, from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), mandates all provincial governors, city mayors, and municipal mayors to establish a Local Governance Transition Team (LGTT) at least two months before their term ends. 

The team, chaired by the local chief executive, includes department heads, a DILG representative, the local sanggunian secretary, and at least one representative from an accredited civil society or people’s organization.

LGTTs are tasked with conducting a detailed inventory of LGU properties, including land, buildings, vehicles, and equipment. They must also secure critical documents, such as governance reports, contracts, development plans, and financial statements. “All LGUs are strongly encouraged to develop a digital archiving system to preserve essential documents,” the circular states.

The teams will facilitate formal turnover ceremonies, brief incoming officials on key responsibilities, and submit a final transition report to the DILG by July 11, 2025. DILG regional directors will monitor compliance and provide technical assistance.

Citing Sections 375-377 of Republic Act 7160 (Local Government Unit), the circular warns that officials failing to comply may face administrative sanctions.  

SunStar Cebu reached out to Baricuatro’s camp on Thursday, May 15, to clarify the governor-elect’s statement about conducting audits but received no reply as of press time.

First 100 days

Baricuatro also laid out plans for her first 100 days in office, saying she will be focusing on improving hospital conditions and access to medical care.

“Despite propaganda about Cebu being the richest province, its hospitals are not good,” she told Davila, adding that this disconnect contributed to Garcia’s electoral defeat. 

Baricuatro pledged to resolve issues on medicine availability and hospital staffing.

On the economic front, Baricuatro cited the province’s low per capita income, reportedly half the national average, as a major concern.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), in the first semester of 2023, about 32.5 percent of Cebu’s total population (including highly urbanized cities) lived below the poverty line, amounting to 1.725 million people. 

The poverty incidence in Cebu Province, excluding the highly urbanized cities, was even higher at 42.4 percent, with 1.45 million people considered poor.

The poverty threshold for a family of five in Cebu Province in 2023 was around P14,873 to P14,965 per month, which is the minimum income needed to meet basic food and non-food needs, according to PSA. 

To help Cebu’s economy, Baricuatro said she will explore opportunities in micro-manufacturing. She recalled Cebu’s former industry of small-scale firearms production for defense as an example of potential economic revival.

“We want to bring the economic order back into the province,” she said. 

Calls for collaboration

Despite political differences, Baricuatro plans to collaborate with the incoming Cebu City mayor, Nestor Archival, and incoming vice governor, Glenn Soco, an ally of Governor Garcia. 

“My victory is also your victory,” she said in an appeal for unity. “I look forward to working together for the people of Cebu.”

Durano offers support

Baricuatro’s campaign and transition efforts gained a boost from former Department of Tourism secretary Ace Durano, who expressed his full support in a Facebook post on May 14.

Durano, who ran against Garcia in the 2022 gubernatorial race but lost, recalled a private conversation with Baricuatro prior to the campaign in which they encouraged each other to run. 

He wrote, “The Lord has a purpose for everything,” and pledged to support her “every step of the way.”

Baricuatro responded in the comments, “I hope you will consider becoming
my adviser.”

Durano also thanked Baricuatro for supporting his “A Better Cebu” campaign. 

His family in Danao City, led by Mayor Thomas Mark “Mix” Durano, was the only group of incumbent officials to endorse Baricuatro during the 2025 elections. / CDF