President Rodrigo Duterte is back in Cebu today as guest of honor during the Mandaue City 49th Charter Day Celebration at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex (MCCSC).
The country’s chief executive will also lead the project launch of the Mandaue City-NHA (National Housing Authority) Low Rise Housing project that will cater to informal settler communities in the city.
At least 3,000 people are expected to witness the program at the MCCSC including city officials and employees, department heads, barangay officials and officials from the Mandaue City Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI).
This is the sixth time that the president visited Cebu within the year and the second time this month.
Tight security
As expected, the police will be on full alert during the President’s visit, meaning no policeman is allowed to take a leave or be absent today.
Chief Supt. Debold Sinas, the director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) said that about 1,000 policemen will be deployed today to secure the president.
He said they have already coordinated with the Presidential Security Group (PSG) for added security concerns.
Low-cost housing
Three low-rise buildings with 60 units each is expected to rise in Barangay Looc and will be ready for occupancy by June 2020.
The P128 million budget for the construction of the housing project will be shouldered by the National Housing Authority while the Mandaue City government will provide the city-owned 4,000-square meter lot.
Targetted to benefit the project are the illegal settlers of Barangay Looc and those living under the Mactan-Mandaue bridge.
Another groundbreaking will also be conducted near the Mandaue Sports and Cultural Complex for a planned government center.
Presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio is expected to deliver an inspirational message prior to her father’s speech.
Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino is the sole cabinet member who confirmed his attendance to the gathering, as of yesterday afternoon.
Honored
Meanwhile, Mandaue City Mayor Luigi Quisumbing said that the city is very much honored to have the President for the ground-breaking of the two
projects.
According to Jun Veligaño, of the city’s Public Information Office (PIO) journalists and those attending the program will just be contained at the MCCSC during the two groundbreaking ceremonies.
Only the President’s team and Mandaue officials will be at the two sites since these have limited space.
The program at the City Sports Complex is expected to start at 3 p.m.
Ready for protesters
Sinas said that the 1,000 personnel includes covert, civil disturbance management (CDM), plain clothes officers, and those who will be detailed at the routes where the president is expected to pass.
Sinas added that they expected cause-oriented groups to mount protest-rallies today but assured that maximum tolerance will be extended to the protesters. / Norman V. Mendoza and Fe Marie Dumaboc and USJ-R Journalism Intern Gerard Vincent Francisco