Cebu City’s planned distribution of rice and fuel assistance may be pushed back to December as city officials seek clarification on election-related restrictions governing the release of government aid.
The city had initially planned to distribute 10 kilos of rice to qualified low-income residents during the third or final week of September. The rollout has since been placed on hold while officials determine whether the assistance can legally be released amid restrictions associated with the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections.
The city government has allocated about P147 million for the assistance programs, which include the rice distribution and a fuel subsidy for qualified habal-habal drivers.
For the rice program, the Department of Social Welfare and Services is revalidating beneficiary lists initially provided through the Department of the Interior and Local Government. City personnel are conducting field validation to determine whether those identified meet the eligibility requirements before distribution begins.
City Chief of Staff Kenneth Siasar said the rice assistance could proceed once the city receives clarification that the distribution is allowed despite the election-related restrictions. If the restrictions remain an issue, the distribution could be moved to December.
The fuel subsidy is facing a separate verification process. An initial list contained around 36,000 habal-habal drivers, but city officials found that some individuals listed drove motorcycles for hire only as a sideline and had other sources of income.
The city is now reconciling that list with an earlier roster maintained by the office of City Councilor Jun Alcover, which contained about 8,000 drivers. The final number of qualified beneficiaries has not yet been determined.
The planned assistance comes as the city government attempts to target support toward residents and workers considered most in need. Officials said the validation process is intended to reduce errors in the beneficiary lists and ensure that assistance reaches those who meet the program requirements.
The timing has become more complicated because of the status of the 2026 BSKE. Congress has been moving legislation to postpone the barangay and SK elections to 2028, but the proposed changes and related election rules have created uncertainty around the timing and release of certain government assistance programs.
For residents expecting the rice assistance and drivers waiting for fuel support, the immediate issue is when the city can legally begin distribution and who will ultimately qualify.
Until the beneficiary lists are finalized and the election-related restrictions are clarified, the P147-million assistance package remains on hold, leaving the planned September rollout facing a possible move to December.
