Baricuatro drops final curtain on Pasigarbo, Suroy-Suroy

Local

DESPITE multiple criticisms raised during the campaign period, the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo and Suroy-Suroy Sugbo will still take place this year.

But Cebu Gov. Pamela “Pam” Baricuatro made it clear that this will be the final staging of the two tourism programs under her administration, as Capitol funding will be realigned to improve healthcare delivery across the province starting 2026.

Baricuatro announced the shift during a press conference on July 3, saying that both programs will proceed this year due to prior appropriations and the presence of existing ordinances.

The new governor, however, emphasized that she intends to push for a legislative review to officially end the projects in favor of healthcare spending.

“I will make it as part of my Legislative Agenda to redesign the Pasigarbo and Suroy-Suroy. Probably, we will realign the funds to the healthcare and to the hospital needs,” Baricuatro told reporters at the Capitol.

She said she will work with the Provincial Board to amend or repeal the necessary ordinances, particularly those institutionalizing Suroy-Suroy Sugbo, in order to legally reallocate the funds.

For Pasigarbo, which is not anchored in a standalone ordinance, its funding is sourced annually through the province’s Annual Appropriations Ordinance, making it subject to the priorities of the sitting governor.

“We will cut the cost for the Pasigarbo and Suroy-Suroy and we will redesign it,” Baricuatro said.

The Capitol’s flagship cultural festival, Pasigarbo sa Sugbo, was introduced in 2008 under former governor Gwendolyn Garcia.

The program aims to bring together cities and towns across Cebu in a grand competition of street dancing, elaborate floats, and colorful costumes, serving as a platform for showcasing local culture and talent.

Suroy-Suroy Sugbo was launched earlier in 2004, also under Garcia’s leadership.

The program aimed to promote tourism in far-flung municipalities through guided caravans that brought VIPs, media, and business stakeholders directly to various destinations in the province.

It was institutionalized in 2012 through an ordinance, amended in 2013, and later reinforced in 2017 through the Cebu Province Tourism Code, which also created the Suroy-Suroy Commission.

While these programs have drawn support from tourism stakeholders and LGUs, they have also faced increasing scrutiny over their costs, logistics, and overall impact.

Baricuatro, who won the May 2025 elections on a platform focused on healthcare, jobs, and transparent governance, had earlier declared her intent to discontinue both programs.

“Pasigarbo is very expensive — it’s over P200 million… And why do you let third-class municipalities compete with component cities? How can they compete in terms of budget? Logistically, it’s improbable. It’s a pity,” Baricuatro said then.

She also pointed out safety issues, saying several participants were injured in past editions while traveling to and from Cebu City for the festival.

“There have been so many accidents. That’s really why I won’t continue with it. I have been vocal about it from the start,” she added.

Regarding Suroy-Suroy Sugbo, Baricuatro criticized the program for placing a burden on rural residents, who she said were often made to wait in uncomfortable conditions just to accommodate visiting delegations.

She questioned why such an effort needed to be imposed on communities that were already struggling with basic services.

Instead of continuing the tourism programs, Baricuatro said she will refocus government resources toward more practical and impactful projects, such as mobile clinics and mobile kitchens that can reach underserved areas.

“If there should be a Suroy-Suroy in the province, it’s not me. It will be mobile clinics, mobile kitchens that will be able to feed the public and give healthcare services,” she said.

She also emphasized that there is no need to create another major festival when the Sinulog Festival already holds cultural significance and global recognition.

“There has to be one Sinulog. We have to collaborate with the City of Cebu. After all, we are one Cebu island. Why would I create another festival? It’s just duplicating it,” she said.

Vice Governor Glenn Soco echoed Baricuatro’s views, saying the Provincial Board is open to reviewing the ordinances that support the tourism programs.

“The ordinance can be amended, can be repealed,” he said.

Soco said that if the administration’s plan results in better medical services for the people of Cebu, then legislative support is “very possible.”

"There's so many ways to address tourism in the entire province of Cebu. Daghan man maayong plano," he added.

He also said the board understands the urgency of improving the province’s healthcare system.

“There's really a pressing call to improve the healthcare system and I am one with the Governor nga tabangan jud na namo nga unsay makaayo para ma improve jud ang healthcare sa atong kaigsuonang Sugbuanon,” Soco said.

Earlier this week, Provincial Administrator Joseph Felix Mari “Ace” Durano announced that P80 million had been allocated to enhance the operations of all 16 provincial and district hospitals in Cebu.

Each hospital will receive P5 million for purchasing medicines, equipment, and fuel for ambulance operations.

Durano said the realignment comes after a comprehensive review of the province’s finances and reflects the administration’s short-term efforts to meet urgent healthcare demands.

The healthcare push gained further momentum after Baricuatro inspected the Minglanilla District Hospital on July 2.

During the visit, she noted multiple deficiencies at the Level 1 facility, including broken tiles in the dietary section, lack of rabies vaccines, insufficient nebulizer machines, and absence of air-conditioning in the hospital pharmacy.

The dental area also lacked basic equipment such as a dental chair.

Baricuatro was accompanied by her daughter, Dr. Elisse Nicole Catalan, who serves as provincial health consultant.

Catalan said procurement processes for the needed supplies are already ongoing.

Baricuatro ordered the immediate repair of the damaged facilities and called for the hiring of additional doctors and nurses before the end of July.

She also underscored the need to upgrade the hospital’s operating and delivery rooms to help decongest bigger hospitals like Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.(MyTVCebu)