AMID WEAK PUBLIC SPENDING Cebu's private sector urged to spur growth

The private sector in Cebu and the wider Central Visayas region is being urged to take a more assertive role in driving economic growth as public spending weakens, with economists warning that the momentum of the country’s fastest-growing region cannot rely on government alone.

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Economist Ronilo Balbieran said Central Visayas has little room for complacency, having posted growth of nearly 8 percent in recent years—around three percentage points above the national average. EHDA M. DAGOOC

(EHDA M. DAGOOC)

That was the message delivered by economist Ronilo Balbieran, vice president at the Research, Education and Institutional Development (REID) Foundation, during the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), “Cebu Economic Briefing 2026” held at City Sports Club on January 21, 2026.

Balbieran said Central Visayas has little room for complacency, having posted growth of nearly 8 percent in recent years—around three percentage points above the national average.

Cebu Province alone generated an estimated P521 billion in gross domestic product in 2024, underscoring the scale of economic activity concentrated in the region.