School children are the first to benefit as Cebu province was hailed anew as the wealthiest province in the country, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said on Wednesday.

Garcia said the newest distinction earned by the province poses a bigger challenge to her administration, specifically on how they would translate the province’s total assets of PHP235.7 billion as recorded by the latest Commission on Audit (COA) findings, into actual benefits for the Cebuano constituency.

Nevertheless, this recognition — being the wealthiest province in the country for nine consecutive years — will definitely benefit school children, she added.

“No Cebuano child should go hungry while they are in school,” she announced.

The provincial government, she said, has long been planning to implement a province-wide feeding program in all public schools of Cebu, including those in the cities of Mandaue, Talisay, Carcar, Toledo, Naga, Danao, and Bogo.

The program targets all Cebuano learners, regardless of their nutritional status.

The governor also stressed that this is the kind of leadership she wanted to convey to her constituents – a kind that uplifts the lives of all Cebuanos and addresses the poverty incidence all throughout the island province.

“We have implemented programs that helped Cebuanos help themselves,” Garcia said, citing the province’s countryside food security program which is being implemented down to the village level.

Through these anti-poverty projects, the capitol has been distributing financial assistance to micro and small-scale entrepreneurs who could present a viable business model and recognize participants who would excel in their endeavors.

According to COA’s 2022 annual financial report, Cebu continues to maintain its lead among the 81 provinces, with its assets at PHP235.7 billion in 2022 or an increase of PHP20.43 billion from the previous year’s PHP215 billion. (PNA)