Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and Consolacion Mayor Teresa Alegado sign a paddle to signify their support and commitments for the projects to be implemented within Metro Cebu through the Mega Cebu Development and Coordinating Council as Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes (center) and Naga City Mayor Val Chiong wait for their turn. Metro Cebu congressmen, representatives from government agencies, private sector and civil society also signed the paddle. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
With street floods recurring in highly-urbanized cities, the completion of an integrated drainage and storm water management plan as soon as possible is on top of the list of priority projects for Metro Cebu towns and cities.
This was the consensus reached by the municipal and city mayors, congressmen, provincial officials and private sector representatives who attended the Mega Cebu Development and Coordinating Board (MCDCB) meeting and open forum yesterday.
According to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH-7) Regional Director Ador Canlas, their office has already proposed P68 million for the cost of implementing the drainage master plan’s feasibility study for next year.
DPWH-7 included the amount in their office’s budget proposal for 2015 which they submitted to the national government as part of the National Expenditure Program (NEP).
The initial study was conducted by engineers from the private sector who found it necessary to craft a drainage master plan to reduce flooding in the metropolis and towns.
Canlas said DPWH Sec. Rogelio Singson has raised the possibility of building water-impounding dams in elevated areas to lessen the volume of rainwater that goes down to Cebu’s low-lying areas.
Singson, he said, also directed DPWH-7 to look into the 1995 Cebu drainage master plan made by experts from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for additional inputs to the new study.
For DPWH in the region, Canlas said their P12.9-billion proposal for 2015 has already been included in the NEP for 2015.
He said this is bigger than this year’s P7 billion. Out of the total amount, P6.6 billion was allocated for projects in Cebu province for next year.
URGENCY
The MCDCB unanimously agreed on prioritizing solutions to address flooding in cities after an engineer briefed officials of the current stage of Cebu’s drainage lines and river ways.
Engr. Fortunate “Jun” Sanchez said Metro Cebu is “left behind” by other cities such as Ilo-ilo and Cagayan de Oro since the two implemented their drainage master plans 20 years ago.
FUNDING
National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA-7) Regional Director Efren Carreon urged local officials to hasten the completion of their project proposals.
He said the national government is easing its requirements on projects to accommodate big ticket projects in the region.
“The point that I’m trying to emphasize here is that if we want the national government to finance our big ticket projects, we should finish our feasibility study, complete our homework and present it to the NEDA Board,” he said.
SUCK-UPS
But during the open forum, a columnist and member of the MCDCB accused the politicians present of being suck-ups of the Aquino administration, yet not achieving quite anything.
Bobit Avila said NEDA has approved a long list of programs this year, but none of it were for Cebu.
Avila called the attention of the politicians who were present at the meeting and labeled them as supporters of an administration that has given Cebu nothing in the last four years.
“Gasige ra og sip-sip sa Malacañang but no matter how much you make sip-sip, in the end, zero lang gihapon ang nakuha sa Cebu (You’ve been sucking up to Malacañang and yet you delivered nothing for Cebu.),” he said.
Politicians present during the meeting were Metro Cebu mayors, including Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, Consolacion Mayor Teresa Alegado, Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy and Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III, among others.
Also present were congressmen Luigi Quisumbing (6th District), Gerald Anthony Gullas (1st District), Raul Del Mar (Cebu City North), Rodrigo Abellanosa (Cebu City South).
Yesterday was the first time almost all of the political leaders were gathered in one MCDCB meeting.
Representatives from the private sector and civil society were also present.
Although Avila’s comment was not directed toward a specific person, Gov. Davide said he was “pissed off” of the accusation because the gathering was not an avenue to talk about politics.
“I take exception to Mr. Avila’s comment,” Davide told the rest of the body.
The governor denied that the politicians at the meeting were “sip-sip.”
“We support the Aquino administration because we believe in its reforms and it is good for the country,” he said.