Cebu Archbishop Abet Uy is not losing hope for the Philippines despite all the issues hounding the country.

In his homily during Christmas Eve Mass, the Archbishop said Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, is a clear indication that hope is not lost.

What is needed, he told Catholic devotees, is humility for the country to find its way into the answers to its problems: the humility to admit mistakes and the humility to listen to one another.

“Duna pa bay paglaom para sa atong nasod? Mga igsoon, ang tubag sa Pasko, klaro, yes, duna pay paglaum… kinahanglan andam ta magpaubos… pagpaubos sa pag-angkon sa atong mga sayop… pagpaubos sa pagpaminaw sa usag-usa.

Uy's predecessor, Archbishop Jose Palma, concelebrated the Mass.

In a twist to the ongoing saga of  flood control projects, Cebu now plays host to controversial contractor Sarah Discaya and eight officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) of Davao Occidental linked to the anomalous P96.5-million ghost flood control project in the province.

The nine people who were charged for alleged malversation of public funds were flown to Cebu for detention on December 19, 2025 after the Regional Trial Court issued warrants for their arrest. They are, as of this writing, detained at the jail in Lapu-Lapu City.

Discaya has asked to be detained at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Supreme Court (SC) spokesperson, Atty. Camille Ting, said earlier they were transferred to Cebu for detention in accordance to guidelines that corruption-related cases from infrastructure projects must be forwarded to the nearest designated anti-graft court of the nearest judicial region.

The SC has previously designated several regional trial courts to handle anti-graft cases.