Looking beyond the hoopla and the rare opportunity of having the country’s president attend the 1st Edsa Revolution commemoration in Cebu, local officials in the cities and province certainly have their work cut out for them in lobbying for their own wish list with the Palace.
President Benigno Aquino III was scheduled to visit the typhoon stricken towns in northern Cebu to listen to the pleas of the local officials there and the timing could have been better given the complaints raised by these local executives in a meeting with representatives of rehabilitation czar Panfilo Lacson.
More than three months after “Yolanda’s” devastation, it was only the private sector and the international community that have responded to the call for help from the typhoon victims while the Aquino administration kept itself busy fending off criticism of politicking and extending selective assistance to political allies and keeping its distance from officials it deems to be allied with the opposition.
With a scheduled reenactment of the hours leading to the ouster of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos held at the Capitol today, Cebu’s officials are afforded the opportunity to talk to the President directly to present their pet projects directly to his attention.
It’s no secret that Cabinet secretary Ruben Almendras may have been instrumental in convincing the President to mark the Edsa Day observance in Cebu; then again, owing to his victory here in the province in the 2010 elections, an appearance is quite warranted especially in light of the twin calamities that hit the province.
That said, it certainly wouldn’t hurt the President, who’s in the last two minutes of his administration to try and reach out to other local officials not only for political expediency, but out of a genuine, sincere commitment to help their constituents.
Aside from the local officials in typhoon-stricken areas, maybe it would be good if President Aquino lends not just an ear but actual, concrete pledges of assistance to proposals by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama for the rehabilitation of the Cebu City Medical Center and the Carbon public market.
The hospital, in particular, which was demolished yesterday in time for the City Charter Day, would service not only city residents but Cebuanos from neighboring cities and towns of the province who can barely afford quality medical care and have to line up to avail of indigent medical assistance at the already overcrowded Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.
For once, the President should look beyond his allies and restore the faith of constituents of local officials who aren’t identified with his party.
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