Pam Baricuatro

Pamela "Pam" Silagan Baricuatro (born November 9, 1966) is a Filipino politician and philanthropist who has served as the 28th governor of Cebu since 2025. A member of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP), she is the founder of the Visayas-based food bank Simply Share Foundation.

Baricuatro is a graduate of the University of San Carlos. She pursued legal studies at the University of the Visayas before dropping out to work as a flight attendant for Cathay Pacific. She founded the Simply Share Foundation in 2015 and later served as a board executive of the Landbank Resource and Development Corporation during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte.

In 2025, Baricuatro ran for governor of Cebu under the PDP banner. She positioned herself as an ally of former President Duterte and received endorsements from personalities identified with his camp. Though her campaign had limited political machinery, she defeated incumbent Governor Gwendolyn Garcia in an upset victory. Garcia later contested the results, leading to a contentious transfer of power.

Early life and education Baricuatro was born on November 9, 1966. Baricuatro also attended formal programs in strategy at the City University of Hong Kong and in public administration at Harvard University.

Simply Share Foundation In 2015, Baricuatro founded the Simply Share Foundation, the first food bank in Visayas. The organization actively participated in relief efforts following the landfall of Typhoon Odette in 2021, which heavily impacted Cebu. Miss Universe Philippines 2021 titleholder Beatrice Gomez, who hailed from Cebu, rallied support for the foundation and other non-governmental organizations through donation drives in response to the typhoon.

On April 5, 2025, the central office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) launched an investigation into the organization after a Facebook post reported that the foundation received a ₱1 million donation from the Philippine Navy in February 2022 while lacking the appropriate permits under the DSWD to operate. A subpoena was issued for Baricuatro on April 2 to appear before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). While she expressed confidence in facing the bureau, she did not appear before the NBI on April 7, upon legal advice from her lawyer.

In response to the litigation, Commodore Jose Lito de Guzman, the commander of the Naval Forces Central of the Philippine Navy, clarified that their donations were sourced from voluntary donations from Navy personnel coming from their meal allowances.

Duterte administration

During the Duterte administration, Baricuatro was appointed as a board executive of the Landbank Resource and Development Corporation, where she established political ties with then-Davao City mayor Sara Duterte.

2025 Cebu gubernatorial campaign

Baricuatro had originally planned to seek a seat in the House of Representatives in 2025, running in Cebu's third district. When Rowena Burden, a critic of incumbent governor Gwendolyn Garcia who was poised as a possible gubernatorial candidate, died on December 15, 2023, she shifted her plans and sought the province's governorship. She refused to identify as a politician and capitalized on her image as a philanthropist. During the campaign, Hakbang ng Maisug-Cebu accused Baricuatro of sidelining Duterte-aligned senatorial candidates and questioned her intentions. Baricuatro denied the allegations, insisting that she consistently supported all candidates aligned with the party.

Media outlets such as the Cebu Daily News and Rappler viewed Governor Garcia, who sought re-election, to be heavily favored in the gubernatorial race, owing to her lengthy tenure and consistent electoral strength. Baricuatro, in contrast, was viewed as a neophyte who lacked political machinery, local networks, and funds. In the lead-up to the election, Baricuatro received endorsements from former president Duterte and other Duterte-aligned figures, including his partner Honeylet Avanceña. She also received endorsements from the Barug Alang sa Kauswagan ug Demokrasya, led by Ramon Durano III, the vice mayor of Danao. On March 11, 2025, Baricuatro and independent vice gubernatorial candidate Lito Ruiz allied and began running as a ticket.

On May 12, 2025, Baricuatro was elected governor in an upset victory, defeating Garcia and her other opponents. She won in 29 of the province's cities and municipalities and made inroads in the congressional districts held by Garcia's allies. Allies of former President Duterte regarded Baricuatro's election as a political realignment in the local politics of Cebu.

While Garcia created a local government transition team on May 20, Baricuatro accused the outgoing administration of obstructing her gubernatorial transition, describing Garcia's camp as deliberate in their refusal to cooperate. Subsequently, on June 3, Garcia filed an electoral protest before the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), citing "technical and software-proven evidence" that suggests that votes intended for Garcia were counted for Baricuatro in over 4,100 precincts. Baricuatro dismissed the protest, describing Garcia's claims as "baseless and absurd". She asserted that there was "no room for refusal or drama" with her transition to the governorship and left her legal team to address the dispute. Upon receiving the summons from the COMELEC on June 13, Baricuatro maintained that the protest was "without merit". The protest was subsequently dismissed by the COMELEC First Division on November 26, 2025, citing insufficiencies.

Governor of Cebu (2025–present) Baricuatro (second on the left) with President Bongbong Marcos (center) after the 6.9 magnitude earthquake in Cebu on October 2, 2025. Baricuatro's term as the 28th governor of Cebu began on June 30, 2025. In her inaugural remarks, she declared financial transparency and public trust as a key mission of her government. Baricuatro appointed former tourism secretary Ace Durano as provincial administrator.

Healthcare She has cited healthcare as her priority in her administration. Upon taking office, Baricuatro signed 12 executive orders led by a measure mandating the release of funds for the operation and capacity of all hospitals owned by the province.

Tourism On May 21, Baricuatro announced that her administration will discontinue the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo and Suroy-Suroy Sugbo programs instituted by her predecessor, citing challenges in logistics and finance.

Personal life Baricuatro is a resident of Pinamungajan.

Baricuatro was close friends with Rowena Burden, who announced her intentions to run for the Cebu governorship before her death. Baricuatro has stated that Burden's death compelled her to seek the governorship herself.

Electoral history +Electoral history of Pam BaricuatroYearOfficePartyVotes receivedResultTotal %.Swing 2025Governor of CebuPDP 1,107,924 58.11% 1st