The Freeman
Ex-justices split on vote ruling
Retired Chief Justices Artemio Panganiban, Reynato Puno and Hilario Davide Jr., and retired Associate Justice Adolfo Azcuna gave their positions on how to interpret the 1987 Constitution's impeachment clause requiring “two-thirds of all the Members of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Capitol readies ₱53 million aid
Provincial Agriculturist Dr. Roldan Saragena said the province has lined up several measures to help agricultural communities cope with expected dry conditions, particularly in production areas vulnerable to water shortages. The planned interventions...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Garbage bid fails anew
Cebu City’s latest attempt to secure a solid waste disposal facility failed after no bidder participated in the fourth scheduled bidding on September 10, leaving the city government with no option but to continue hauling most of its garbage to...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Water backup plan
The council approved a resolution authored by Councilor Harry Eran directing the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) to prepare and implement a Water-Service Continuity and Power-Outage Contingency Plan. The measure comes amid multiple red alerts...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Service caravan
A service caravan awaits Cebuanos as the Cebu Provincial Government celebrates President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s 69th birthday through a day of public service, bringing various government assistance, employment, and skills programs at the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Cebu power 12x costlier
Electricity in Cebu is costing businesses more than 12 times the wholesale price in Metro Manila, an extraordinary disparity that business groups warn is eroding the competitiveness of one of the Philippines’ most important regional economies. The...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
House probe sought
“ ” Cebu Third District Representative Karen Hope F. Garcia is seeking a congressional inquiry into the recurring power outages in the Visayas and their possible impact on electricity rates, amid reports that Cebu’s power rates could rise to nearly...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Irrigation crisis hits Cebu City
City Agriculturist Joey Baclayon said most of the affected areas are planted with vegetables and corn, which are now under severe water stress. The situation has been aggravated by irrigation facilities that had already been non-operational even...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Binaliw landfill is not yet safe
Cebu City’s disaster office has raised serious safety concerns over the Binaliw landfill, warning that the facility cannot yet be considered safe for sustained operations due to deficiencies in fire protection, methane venting, slope stability and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
City reopens bidding for garbage disposal
The Cebu City Government has reopened bidding for the procurement of services of a licensed solid waste disposal facility, with an approved budget of P99.3 million. The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) announced that bid documents will be available...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
CCMC tops green rating
The DOH-Central Visayas validated CCMC’s rating with a score of 91.63 percent, recognizing the hospital’s efforts to maintain a safe, sustainable and climateresilient healthcare environment. The GVA is a nationwide DOH initiative that assesses health...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Christmas in the dark
With rotational brownouts already affecting parts of the Visayas, including Cebu, the Department of Energy (DOE) is working on shortand long-term measures to stabilize the grid and prevent the current supply shortage from worsening as the holiday...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Visayas power woes worsen
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has admitted that the power supply situation in the Visayas has worsened, with several power plants remaining unavailable and taking nearly 1,000 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity offline.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Gov. Pam meeting energy players
As power shortages continue to trigger rotational brownouts across Cebu, Governor Pamela Baricuatro is bringing energy players to the table on Friday, September 4, in a bid to find immediate and long-term solutions to the province’s growing power...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘Toxic’ haze halts classes
The cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, Talisay and Carcar, as well as the town of Minglanilla, separately announced the suspension of face-to-face classes in public schools within their respective jurisdictions, citing deteriorating air quality conditions...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Archival eyes P200M more to dispose waste
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said the city may have to pass another supplemental budget to sustain its garbage hauling and disposal operations as the reopening of the Binaliw landfill remains uncertain despite the full lifting of the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Drying paddies alarm farmers
The Cebu City Agriculture Department (CAD) has conducted field inspections in the two upland barangays, led by Rice Program Coordinator Elyn Marie L. Burlaos and Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteer (JOCV) Mina Funai. Farmers reported that available...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
New festival is born
A new Cebu festival may have been born. This, as Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro declared the inaugural Halad sa Pagtuo a success yesterday, August 29, which gathered approximately 7,000 spectators at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) for the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Jonkie bares gains, challenges in SOCA
Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano highlighted gains in health, education, infrastructure and basic services while acknowledging major projects and persistent problems like flooding that remain unfinished during his first State of the City...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Charges eyed vs Bercede, others
The Mandaue City Legal (CLO) is recommending that the City Mayor’s Office file legal action against officials, including Vice Mayor Glenn Bercede, and former personnel of the previous administration over the purchase of two ambulances worth around P6...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
UNPAID PROPERTY TAXES Publicauctionlooms
Close to 250 real properties in Cebu City have been certified tax delinquent and may be sold at public auction if the owners fail to settle their obligations by the end of October.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Pamela pushes street opening
Baricuatro raised the proposal with the Armed Forces of the Philippines Visayas Command (VisCom), seeking its assistance in making the road accessible to motorists while ensuring that security measures within the military establishment are...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
LGUs urged: Adopt own FOI mechanism
Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro has urged all 51 towns and component cities in the province to establish and institutionalize Freedom of Information (FOI) mechanisms in their respective local government units (LGUs). Baricuatro issued Executive Order...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Science-based drainage plan
This call comes from a resolution filed by Councilor Harold Go and approved by the council, urging Archival to engage a qualified consultant, engineering firm, consortium, academic institution, or multidisciplinary technical team to prepare and update...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Cebu to host tourism forum
The three-day international gathering, themed “New EATOF, Go Glocal,” will bring together governors, standing commissioners, tourism officials, academics, industry stakeholders, and other representatives from EATOF member provinces and regions. Among...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Largest sinkhole in Bogo discovered
A 16-meter-wide sinkhole discovered on August 20, 2026, in Barangay Guadalupe has become the 20th recorded sinkhole in Bogo City and the largest documented in the city so far. The site of the sinkhole was reported at around 5 a.m. on Thursday, in...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Archival faces graft
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival is facing criminal and administrative complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas over his alleged refusal to stop the Monterrazas de Cebu development project despite documented environmental violations, as...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Low turnout hits vax drive
The Department of Health-Central Visayas (DOH-7) has intensified its measles-rubella vaccination campaign after only 87,738 of the 630,214 children targeted in the region had been vaccinated as of Tuesday, August 18. Based on DOH MeaslesRubella...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
School shooting kills 2, injures 9
Two students were killed and nine others were seriously wounded after a junior high school student allegedly opened fire inside Ateneo de Zamboanga University (ADZU) in Zamboanga City Tuesday morning, August 18. ADZU confirmed the two fatalities in a...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Socmed blamed for low vax rate
The council adopted the measure following the first week of the Ligtas Tigdas Campaign, or Measles-Rubella Supplemental Immunization Activity (MR-SIA), launched in Mandaue City on August 10 by the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) and the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Debt may stall Binaliw return
During the City Council’s latest executive session on the Binaliw landfill, councilors pressed Primewaste General Manager Niño Abellana to clarify whether the company’s acceptance of the city’s garbage hinged solely on the full lifting of the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
JVvowsP400M for 4 hospitals
Ejercito, in a press conference in Cebu City on Friday, said he intends to seek an initial P100 million each for Danao City Hospital, Cebu City Medical Center, Minglanilla Hospital and Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center. He, however, clarified...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Capitol: CBRT may operate sans station
Provincial Administrator Atty. ACE DURANO on the proposed CBRT Capitol Station The Cebu Provincial Government said the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) can operate even without a station directly in front of the Cebu Provincial Capitol, as it awaits the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Waste drains school funds
Archival made the admission as he pushed forward with his “Basura Namo, Kaugmaon Nato” school-based waste diversion program, expanding it to Camp Lapu-Lapu, City Central, and Pasil Elementary Schools.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Cebu blood supply tight
Cebu Province barely has enough blood supply, leaving the province vulnerable amid a surge in dengue cases. The Philippine Red Cross-Cebu Chapter said its blood inventory remains sufficient for the time being but stressed that it is only at the minimum...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
DPWHtohasten flood projects
Dizon inspected several flood-prone areas in Cebu City and Mandaue City yesterday, August 11, to assess existing drainage capacity and identify measures that could reduce the severity and duration of flooding. He was joined by DPWH-7 officials, Cebu...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Flight delay irks passengers
At least 80 passengers bound for Caticlan were stranded for two days at the MactanCebu International Airport (MCIA) amid flight disruptions allegedly caused by bad weather and a subsequent technical problem, prompting complaints and a demand for...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Labor group hits RTWPB
Labor group Partido Manggagawa-Cebu (PM-Cebu) has slammed the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in Central Visayas (RTWPB-7) for allegedly insisting that there is no “supervening event” to justify a wage increase. PM-Cebu spokesperson...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Councilor faces extortion rap
Cebu City Councilor Jose Lorenzo Abellanosa is now facing a criminal complaint filed by an Albaybased construction firm for allegedly “extorting and defrauding” the company of P26.8 million in connection with a memorial park project. The same...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Mayor denies dog euthanasia claims
Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Ma. Cynthia "Cindi" King-Chan has denied allegations that the city government routinely euthanizes impounded dogs in preparation for the annual Ironman 70.3 race, saying the city's animal control operations are conducted year-round...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Clamor prompts Ban-Tal tweak
The decision came a day after the city fully implemented the new traffic scheme, which drew criticism from motorists who blamed it for worsening congestion along Gov. M. Cuenco Avenue. CCTO chief Raquel Arce said reopening the flyover for motorcycles...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Traffic snarls Ban-Tal
Despite numerous complaints from motorists and commuters due to the heavy traffic on the first day of the strict enforcement of the Banilad-Talamban (BanTal) Discipline Zone on Wednesday, Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) head Raquel Arce said the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
City tightens ASF defenses Archival open to ‘Pax Silica’
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival has issued a supplemental executive order strengthening the city's defenses against African Swine Fever (ASF), expanding enforcement powers, requiring faster barangay response and Archival made the remarks following the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Capitol kicks off month-long anniversary celebrations
The Cebu Provincial Government officially launched on Monday, August 3, the monthlong celebration of Cebu's 457th Founding Anniversary with an opening salvo and the inauguration of this year's expanded “Tabo sa Kapitolyo: Agri-Fisheries Trade Fair” at...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Governor's Run nets P2.9 million
The inaugural Governor's Zero Hunger Run raised P2.9 million for food security and nutrition programs while drawing some 3,500 participants, setting what Cebu Governor Pamela S. Baricuatro described as the country's first footrace dedicated to ending...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
City gov’t says no dogs killed
The Lapu-Lapu City government and the organizer of the IRONMAN 70.3 Philippines in Cebu have denied allegations that stray dogs were being impounded and euthanized across the city ahead of the triathlon event, which will be held on August 9. The...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Dizon to check Cebu flooding
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon is set to visit Cebu in the coming weeks to personally inspect areas devastated by the recent flooding, as the national government also evaluates whether the province needs the same...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
“Niadto ko sa SONA ug
akong gisuportahan ang Presidente. Pero gi-bash ko’g maayo, gi-bash ko og nganong niadto ko. Nganong dili man? I respect authority, a
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Capitolonguard against dengue
Despite recording 381 confirmed dengue cases across Cebu Province in July, provincial health officials clarified that the situation has not reached outbreak level, although the steady rise in infections has prompted intensified surveillance and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Mayor urges landowners’ compensation
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival is pressing for the payments to the remaining affected landowners, establishments, and households so the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit project can finally move forward, after years of paralysis caused by unresolved right-of-way...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
BBM pushes for tax relief
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has pushed for tax relief for middle-income earners, lower electricity costs, and stronger anti-corruption measures, while highlighting infrastructure, transport, and disaster resilience projects benefiting Cebu and the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
City’s housing project flagged
In its 2025 Annual Audit Report, COA found that the fivestory medium-rise tenement in Barangay Lorega San Miguel, intended to provide housing for 170 urban poor families along with spaces for healthcare, skills training, and daycare services, remains...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
5 LGUs monitored
The Cebu Provincial Health Office (PHO) has placed five local government units (LGUs) under close monitoring after recording two deaths and the highest number of dengue cases in the past four weeks. According to PHO monitoring, Toledo City logged the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Gica surrenders HPG Tigers pin
Dumanjug Mayor Efren Guntrano “Gungun” Gica on Friday voluntarily surrendered his Highway Patrol Group (HPG) Tigers motorcycle club pin and personally apologized to fellow members over the road crash he figured in along the national highway in Barangay...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Freeman's ProgreCebu fetes Cebu's finest
The Freeman has broadened the scope of its annual ProgreCebu Awards by honoring Michelinrecognized restaurants alongside outstanding individuals, institutions, and destinations that have helped elevate Cebu's standing in tourism, business, culture, and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
City gov’t stops SRP dumping
The Cebu City government will stop allowing barangays to dump garbage at the South Road Properties (SRP) beginning next week, with the city's private hauler set to collect waste directly from barangays and transport it straight to the landfill in...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
LTO suspends Gica’s license
The Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas (LTO7) has suspended for 90 days the driver's license of Dumanjug Mayor Efren "Gungun" Gica and ordered him to explain why he should not face administrative sanctions after he was caught on video...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Binaliw landfill among riskiest
The deadly collapse of Binaliw landfill, which claimed the lives of 36 waste workers and a volunteer rescuer, was not an unforeseeable accident but the result of long-ignored warnings and systemic failures in the country's solid waste management...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Hasten P4.2B Interchange
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival has urged the Cebu–Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) Bridge Management Board to fast-track the proposed P4.2-billion CCLEX–Cebu South Coastal Road (CSCR) Interchange, citing the need to ease worsening traffic congestion...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Overall CICL cases decline
This is according to the Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO), which also reported that violations of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act continued to account for the largest share of offenses. Speaking during the Hisgutan Ta media forum, Police...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Billions idle in Cebu City
. State auditors found that the city absorbed only P344.4 million, or 7.98 percent, of the P4.316 billion available under the Local Development Fund, a level of utilization that the state auditors said was "not optimally contributing to societal and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Archival: CCMC defects not under my watch
The Cebu City Government continues to use the South Road Properties (SRP) as a garbage transfer station despite a cease and desist order (CDO) issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-7 last month directing the city to stop...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
P180M excess stock – COA
In its 2025 Annual Audit Report, COA found that the city was keeping P180,558,554.54 worth of inventories at the Department of General Services (DGS) and Local School Board (LSB) warehouses.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Unused aid flagged
The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged Cebu City over the delayed distribution of relief goods, poor documentation, and the non-utilization of millions of pesos in donations intended for victims of Typhoon Tino and other disasters, citing serious...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Chinese envoy cautions Cebu City on WPS event
Cebu City's first official observance of West Philippine Sea Victory Day on Monday drew praise from the national government as a show of patriotism and support for the country's maritime rights, but also prompted a warning from China's top diplomat in...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Entry of hogs banned
Cebu City has imposed a ban on the movement of live hogs, pork and pork products in and out of the city as a precaution against the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) following outbreaks in Negros Island.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Ashfall disrupts flights, classes
Face-to-face classes across several local government units in Cebu were suspended and at least 14 flights at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) were cancelled Thursday after volcanic ash from the moderately explosive eruption of Mt. Kanlaon...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Archival admits P1.12B deficit
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival acknowledged Tuesday that the city is operating with a P1.12-billion budget deficit, but maintained that investments in infrastructure and social services will continue as he delivered his first State of the City Address...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Capitol gets antivenom
The Cebu Provincial Government has received its first-ever supply of polyvalent antivenom, marking a significant step in strengthening emergency treatment for venomous snakebites across the province. Capitol Piso Public Health Consultant Dr. Elisse...
Read Full Story (Page 1)