21/05/2025
The new governor of Cebu Province, who will assume office on June 30, 2025, is Pamela "Pam" Baricuatro. She was proclaimed the duly elected governor on May 13, 2025, after winning the 2025 Cebu gubernatorial election. She defeated the incumbent, Gwendolyn Garcia.
Pamela Silagan "Pam" Baricuatro is the newly elected governor of Cebu Province, set to assume office on June 30, 2025. Her victory in the 2025 Cebu gubernatorial election was considered an upset, as she defeated the long-serving incumbent, Gwendolyn Garcia.
Born on November 9, 1966, in Cebu City, Baricuatro earned a political science degree from the University of San Carlos. She also pursued legal studies at the University of the Visayas before working as a flight stewardess for Cathay Pacific. She furthered her education with formal programs in strategy at the City University of Hong Kong and public administration at Harvard University.
Before entering the gubernatorial race, Baricuatro had a diverse background. She founded the Visayas-based food bank Simply Share Foundation in 2015, which reportedly fed over a million Cebuano children through various programs, including during the pandemic and in response to local calamities. During the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, she served as a board executive of the Landbank Resource and Development Corporation and also as secretary-general of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas.
Describing herself as the "people's governor," Baricuatro ran under the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino banner. She positioned herself as an ally of former President Duterte and Vice President Sara Duterte, and a critic of the previous administration. Despite being perceived as a political neophyte with limited political machinery and networks, she secured a significant victory, winning in 29 of Cebu's cities and municipalities. Her win is seen by some as a political realignment in Cebu's local landscape, ending the Garcia clan's long-standing political influence in the province.
Upon her proclamation, Baricuatro stated her focus would be on healthcare improvement and streamlining government programs, vowing to lead a "clean and approachable" administration. She emphasized that her campaign was clean and free from vote-buying, attributing her success to the support of the people rather than political alliances with mayors or barangay captains. She also expressed her intention to conduct audits in the Cebu capitol for transparency and accountability once she assumes office.
What’s New, Cebu?
