Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia delivered her 14th State of the Province Address (SOPA) in the social hall of the Capitol, Friday, August 11, 2023.| Wenilyn Sabalo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The state of Cebu Province is united and “very strong.”
This was the report of Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn “Gwen” Garcia during her 14th State of the Province Address (SOPA) within her fifth term as governor, on Friday night, August 11, 2023.
The governor’s speech, which lasted for about an hour and a half, encapsulated reports on the province’s tourism and economic status, completed and ongoing projects, health and education services, bulk water and livelihood projects, and enhanced countryside development programs.
Richest province
Cebu remains the richest province in the entire country, with total assets of P235.7 billion as of end of 2022, from P215.27 billion in 2021. The province also raised its internally generated revenues by 45.01 percent despite a reduction in National Tax Allotment by 14.59 percent.
“With our efforts at rationalizing revenue measures and increasing collection efficiency, we have raised our revenues by 40 percent, from P5.12 billion in 2021 to P7.15 billion in 2022,” Garcia said.
Garcia spoke before dignitaries from the private and public sectors. She was also escorted by senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Francis Tolentino as she entered the Capitol Social Hall.
‘Debt-free’ Province
Moreover, Governor Gwen Garcia reported that as of December 31, 2022, the provincial government’s total cash position stands at P5.2 billion, and the province continued to be debt-free.
“Our financial position has earned for the Province of Cebu the Seal of Good Financial Housekeeping from the Department of [the] Interior and Local Governance (DILG) in 2022. It has allowed us to boldly set our national budget this year to an unprecedented P20.15 billion,” she reported.
Ongoing Projects
Garcia then apprised the Cebuanos of the completed and ongoing projects for the various sectors.
In Infrastructure:
- the province constructed a total of 18 reinforced concreted deck girder (RCDG) bridges and constructed 7 RCBC bridges
- close to completing the installation of 10,000 street lamps
- set up bulk water supply system, initially in 25 LGUs
- standardized the design of barangay halls
In Agriculture:
- SugBusog expanded to 1,438 public schools in DepEd provincial and city divisions, and 16 provincial and district hospitals
- 122,453 farmers and 20,496 fisherfolks ensured withthe Philippine Crop Insurance Company
In Health:
- the level one, 100-bed capacity provincial hospitals in Balamban, Carcar, Danao, and Bogo will soon be upgraded by the Department of Health to 200-250-bed capacity Level II hospitals
- Through public-private partnership scheme, the province opened hemodialysis centers in provincial hospitals in Danao and Carcar
- upgrading of laboratories (Danao Provincial Hospital Laboratory was upgraded to Level III)
In Education:
- Sugbo Kahanas program-P100 million-a-year project by the Province to qualified scholars in the entire province
In Tourism
- Cebu Province become the first LGU to open tourist rest areas
- Suroy-Suroy Sugbo program – spurred the economic activity and development of the province and has been adopted nationally by the Department of Tourism
Other ongoing projects
- Sugbo Negosyo program-P100 million to 10,000 beneficiaries as investment to budding entrepreneurs in micro or small enterprises
- Sugbo Babuyan sa Tugkaran- livelihood programs for hog growers
- Caravan of Provincial Government Services
Budget passed
Governor Gwen Garcia also recognized the Provincial Board headed by Vice Gov. Hilario Davide III “for always passing the budget that the Cebuanos deserve.”
Garcia has noted that the political landscape of the Cebu Province has changed drastically, and because the island is now “united,” it has made her fourth and fifth terms more “encouraging.”
“The state of the Province is strong–very strong. The state of this island is strong because we are unshakably united,” Governor Gwen Garcia said.
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