Early political career
Sagarbarria was elected SK Kagawad at a young age, and became Barangay Captain a few years after his election as Kagawad. [3]
In 2016, Sagarbarria was elected as City Councilor of Dumaguete with 22,797 votes under the Nationalist People's Coalition, and was re-elected in 2019, with a larger vote share of 35,553 votes. [4] [5]
Governor of Negros Oriental
On May 31, 2023, Sagarbarria ascended to become Governor of Negros Oriental, following the death of his predecessor, Carlo Jorge Joan L. Reyes, who died from lung cancer while receiving treatment in Metro Manila. Sagarbarria took his oath as governor from Judge Gerardo Paguio Jr. on the same day. [8] One of his first acts as Governor was to order the flying of the Philippine flags at half-mast in honor of the late Reyes. [9]
As Governor, Sagarbarria vowed to prioritize the improvement of the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital, and to continue the projects that were started by his late predecessor. [9] Sagarbarria called for "unity and hard work" among medical personnel in the province to aide and provide the health needs of the province's residents, and also announced the establishment of a Bids and Awards Committee, specifically for medical centers to fast-track the procurement of equipment and medicines. [10]
In June 2023, Sagarbarria implemented identical measures in handling the threats of African Swine Fever with Cebu Governor, Gwendolyn Garcia, wherein Sagarbarria said that the two provinces would sign a memorandum of agreement that would lay out the near-same protocols about biosecurity measures, as well as lifting the ban on hogs from Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI)-declared ASF-infected areas. [11] In the same year, Sagarbarria also announced that he undertake more sporting events to intensify the provincial government’s tourism campaign. He disclosed in a separate interview that the capitol had spent about ₱50,000 the Macias Sports Center in Dumaguete. [12]
In 2024, Sagarbarria signed Executive Order No. 10, which lifted the ban on pork in the province following the ban on hogs from the BAI. [13] In the same year, he, along with other local leaders, also expressed his support of the proposal that would create a Negros island economic superhighway, saying that the proposed Negros island economic superhighway was designed to boost agriculture, trade, and business between the two Negros provinces, further adding that the project was agreed with Negros Occidental Governor, Eugenio “Bong” Lacson. [14]
Sagarbarria also distributed checks and packages amounting to P910,000 in Sibulan, where 13 former New People's Army rebels and one Militia ng Bayan member each received ₱50,000 worth of livelihood assistance and ₱15,000 as immediate assistance under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP). [15]
He was elected on his own right as governor in the 2025 midterm elections with 365,020 votes, winning against former governor, Pryde Henry Teves. [16]
