Labella promises 2M jobs, solution to city’s traffic crisis during his term

Cebu City Mayor Edgar Labella delivered his State of City Address (SOCA) this afternoon at the IC3 Convention Center Cebu in Barangay Mabolo. | Delta Dyreka Letigio

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Transactions which he entered into during his first 100 days in office are expected to bring at least two million jobs for Cebuanos in the coming years.

Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella was especially referring to the development permit which he issued to the SM-Ayala Consortium for the development of 45.5-hectare property at the South Road Properties (SRP).

Moving forward, Labella said that he will focus on finding solutions to the traffic crisis that is now affecting Cebu City. He also plans to coordinate with the neighboring cities of Mandaue and Talisay in this endeavor.

Read More: PB declares traffic crisis in Cebu

But he said that he won’t be able to do all these on his own.

Labella asked the public’s support to ensure the implementation of his dreams for Cebu City during his three-year term.

“I am relying on you Cebuanos seeking greener pastures not to leave our city. Ayaw mo panglayas ngadto sa Bohol, Tuburan, ug Siquijor. Palihog, mag puyo lang ta diri mga kaigsunonan. Tukuron dinhin ang inyong kugi para sa paglambo sa atong Dakbayan,” Labella said during the State of the City Address which he delivered before the around people who crowded he IC3 Convention Center Cebu in Barangay Mabolo.

(I am relying on your Cebuanos seeking greener pastures not to leave our city. Don’t leave for Bohol Tuburan and even Siquijor. Please, let us remain in our city.  With your hardwork, let us help bring progress to our city.)

Read More: Labella’s first 100 days: Accomplishment report to be delivered on October 16

Spectators included Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, Vice Mayor Michael Rama, members of the city council, Regional Development Council (RDC) Chairman Kenneth Cobonpue, businessmen and barangay officials.

In his SOCA, Labella said that future developments at the SRP are expected to generate around two million jobs for the Cebuanos.

Jobs will come from business that will soon open at the SRP like malls and hotels and industries and other opportunities that may arise from the operation of these businesses.

This will be made possible after Labella decided to withdraw the petition for declaratory relief which former mayor Tomas Osmeña filed to prevent the sale of the 45.5 hectare property to the consortium.

Read More: Filinvest, SM-Ayala consortium complete P16-B payment for SRP lot; money still with Cebu court

Labella said that City Hall is also expected to earn revenues from taxes, permit fees and other government regulatory fees that will be imposed on the P307 billion development project that the consortium will implement at the SRP.

But these development projects will take time to complete. He is asking Cebuanos to be patient and wait for the day to come that they would already start to work on establishments that will be opened at the SRP.

Other significant achievements which he made during his first 100 days in office include the planting of 25, 000 seedlings; the ground breaking of two tenement social housing for poor families, two major river cleanups and the reduction of the processing time for permit applications at the Office of the Building Officials (OBO) to only three days.

Labella said he intends to continue his greening program until his term ends in 2022.

Read More: Labella’s Promise: Cebu City to plant 3M trees to replace 5 trees cut by DENR

He has also directed the Department of Public Services (DPS) and the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) to continue the river cleanups that they already started and implement innovations to rehabilitate and maintain these water bodies and to strictly implement the environmental laws.

While he praised OBO for the digitalization of their permit application process,  he made a commitment that other City Hall departments especially the City Treasurer’s Office.  His administration is also building a financial center beside the Senior Citizen’s Park that is located across the City Hall executive building.

Read More: Cebu City OBO vows faster processing of building permits

Before he ended his SOCA, Labella vowed to find means to address the “traffic crisis” that is now affecting Cebu City and the neighboring localities.

He said Cebu City will soon be implementing a smart traffic system using Artificial Intelligence to systemize traffic and the apprehension of traffic violators. / dcb