Executive Secretary Ralph Recto announced that the Province of Cebu has received a P265 million Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) under the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF).

Recto said the amount was handed over to Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro on Thursday.

The allocation targets critical provincial projects in energy, health care and farm-to-market road initiatives, marking a step in the national government's efforts to support local communities.

“Local and national governments are united, and we will work together so our countrymen here in Cebu will benefit,” Recto said.

Gov. Baricuatro said Recto’s presence in Cebu "underscores the National Government’s dedication to forging effective partnerships with local governments."

The event also celebrated the Bagong Pilipinas initiative, with Recto leading the distribution of rice assistance to approximately 3,200 beneficiaries, including fisherfolk, single parents and senior citizens.

“This rice comes from our local farmers,” Recto said, emphasizing it as part of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure no Filipino family goes hungry. "While this assistance provides immediate relief, it's a small part of the services funded by the National Government."

Recto also met with Presidential Scholars, beneficiaries of the Local Socio-Civic Project Fund, which provides every barangay with P100,000 to support five graduating senior high school students.

“We deeply appreciate this active and unprecedented partnership, bringing tangible progress to every Cebuano,” said Gov. Baricuatro.

Recto affirmed the administration's commitment that "every Cebuano will benefit, and every Filipino will prosper.”

The visit to Cebu is part of a series of nationwide efforts to ensure development funds are used efficiently and transparently at the grassroots level.

Aside from the LGSF funds for the provincial government, the local government of Cordova, Cebu, also received P20 million for infrastructure projects funded through the LGSF. In addition, P54.8 million worth of Socio-Civic Project funds were turned over to nine LGUs in the province: Alcoy, Aloguinsan, Balamban, Daanbantayan, Danao, Medellin, Toledo, Pinamungajan and Sogod.

The LGSF is a fund that aids municipalities in delivering basic services to their constituents.

Among the fund’s focal areas is strengthening Local Development Councils as partners in national development. The LGSF program is connected to the national thrust of realizing a responsive set of national priorities and budget.