Traffic, flood, garbage not to be forgotten amidst pandemic—Labella

Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella. | CDN Digital file

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Most of Cebu City’s projects have been put on hold due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis as the government put most of its efforts into responding to the effects of the pandemic in the city.

Despite this, Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella said that the other projects of the city pertaining to traffic, flooding, and garbage will not be forgotten despite the pandemic.

Labella delivered his State of the City Address (SOCA) on July 22, 2020 during the 2nd inaugural session of the Cebu City Council and reported to the public the achievements of the city.

He provided an update on his ten-point agenda before the pandemic such as flood, traffic, garbage, education, housing, business, the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC), and the Carbon Market.

Read: Labella to focus on projects adapting to ‘new normal’

For flooding, Labella said the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) has been continuously working together with the Department for Public Works and Highways in Central Visayas (DPWH-7) on the flood-mitigating measures they are putting up in rivers.

The city has been working on acquiring the right-of-way for the projects, which can be the most difficult part in expanding the sewage systems and clearing the river banks.

For traffic, the city already allotted P500 million for a new digital traffic system that is currently being bid out as the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) continues to study the best system for the city.

“We are finalizing the terms and reference and other documents to pave the way for the procurement process of our digital and intelligent traffic system project,” said the mayor.

The city also purchased more garbage trucks to address the problems in garbage collection in the city as well as provided P5 million to every barangay for the purchase of additional garbage trucks or hiring of garbage collectors.

For housing and education, Labella said they have break ground two tenement buildings and a school building in Barangay Lorega San Miguel, and more school buildings in Barangays Mambaling, San Jose, and Sapangdaku.

Construction of more school buildings in Barangays Kinasang-an, Busay, and Buhisan are also underway.

It was also in Labella’s first year that the Office of the Building Official and the Business Processing and Licensing Office reduced the processing time for permits from weeks to merely three days.

Cebu City also plans of developing the Carbon Market after Megawide Construction Corporation submitted an unsolicited proposal, and the Joint-Venture Committee is now studying the contract.

Finally, the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) is targeted to open its first three floors by the end of the year.

The P100 million for the first three floors have been awarded to a bidder and the construction is set to start on August 2020, while the P500 million for the rest of the floors will be bid out as soon as the plans are finalized.

Labella urged the Cebu City Council to support the projects of the city executive to help improve the situation in the city to help the city.

“We should not let partisan political interests get in the way of that most sacred of callings. I’ll be frank, now is not the time for politics,” said the mayor.

Councilor Alvin Dizon of the opposing party, Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan, said the legislative department will continue to work for the people.

“As far as our legislative office is concerned, we will continue to remain faithful with our mandate to pass legislations and policy measures relevant to our current situation and the ‘new normal’ that awaits us,” said Dizon.

When it comes to Labella’s first year in office, he said he lives it to the Cebuanos to judge the mayor’s performance.

“In a democracy, people are always the ultimate judge and their verdict belies everything else, especially at this time when the city is being confronted with this COVID-19 pandemic.” /bmjo