Davide agrees to let city free use of provincial lot for shuttle terminal
Barangay Mabolo Chief, Niña Mabatid said she is planning to ask for a bigger budget allotment for her barangay next year so that they can purchase closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs) to improve the safety of her village.
Mabatid hopes that the Cebu City Council will approve her request so that the death of call center agent, Loraine Temple, along Pope John Paul II avenue on October 3 will not be repeated.
“I hope the city will provide us with CCTVs kay wala man miy budget sa barangay (because we do not have enough budget),” said Mabatid.
“But if not, I will insist that the CCTVs be included in the budget planning. Now, it remains with the city council to approve or deny my budget,” she added.
She however, did not disclose the amount that she wants to be given to her barangay.
Aside from the lack of budget, Mabatid said that Mabolo also lacks barangay tanods.
“Kulang kaayo ta og tanods kay sa previous administration pa man ni sila, but in the budget planning next year magdungag ko og more tanods,” said Mabatid.
(We lack tanods because the current tanods came from the previous administration, but in the budget planning next year, I will add more tanods.)
Despite the tragic death of Temple who was robbed and killed by two motorcycle-riding suspects, Mabatid insisted that Mabolo is still a safe barangay, saying Temple’s death was an isolated case.
She also claimed that police are now frequently roving the area since the incident.
Temple was on her way home at around 3 a.m. on October 4 when two robbers blocked her way and grabbed her bag.
The victim reportedly grappled with the suspects who then shot her, hitting her on the chest.
The incident caught the attention of Mayor Tomas Osmeña who posted on his facebook account his plans of providing shuttle buses at the IT Park to ferry call center agents to areas where they can get a ride on their way home.
Free use
Yesterday, Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III said that he will allow the city free use of a province-owned lot at IT Park for the planned shuttle service for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) workers.
Davide said that he is just waiting for the formal letter from Osmeña before they can forge a memorandum of agreement in developing the area.
Aside from being a terminal for the shuttle services, Osmeña earlier said that the space may also be used as parking area for motorcycles of call center agents.
The MOA, according to Davide, will also set if the terminal will collect any fee from call center agents who will use the parking space.
“I spoke with the mayor atong Saturday and he asked me if the lot can be used and I said yes kay wa ma na gamita pa nato,” Davide said.
Davide said developing a shuttle service terminal in the area will also benefit the province since “a significant number of BPO workers come from the towns.”