Cebu City Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia. | File photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Two Cebu City officials look forward to hearing updates on projects that will benefit the Cebuanos during the second State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday, July 24, 2023.
Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia and Councilor Noel Eleuterio Wenceslao said they wanted to especially hear updates on the proposed 73.7 kilometer Metro Cebu Expressway (MCE) project that is expected to cut travel time from Naga City in the southern part of the province to Danao City in the north.
If implemented, the at least 67 kilometer travel will be completed in just one hour instead of three hours or more.
The road project, that was identified by the Naional Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) as one of the priority projects under the Marcos Jr. administration, is yet to be implemented.
“Maayo unta ma apil niya ang mga projects for Cebu, especially Cebu City. Speeches like SONA are good to hear, what is important for us, ma-realize ni iya gipang promise,” Wenceslao told CDN Digital.
Vice Mayor Garcia, for his part, said he wanted to hear what the President has to say about local autonomy and the projects and programs that he plans to introduce in the different provinces and cities in the country.
“As a local government official myself, as the Vice Mayor of the City of Cebu, and of course, him, being.. coming from the local government unit from Ilocos, so mo expect jud ko nga naa jud siyay i-discuss about, perhaps, on local autonomy, more programs and projects for local government, basically, more aid, more help, programs, and projects for the provinces and cities,” Garcia said.
“And then, in particular also, kaning mapadayon ang ilang gisugdan nga atong mass transportation here in Cebu, not only in Cebu City, but also Cebu Province, the continuation maybe of our expressway in Cebu. We [need to] find more funding for that and then of course katong iyang pabahay, housing program, I hope he can also mention that so that we will have clear direction labi na mga local government units nga nangandoy jud para ana,” the vice mayor added.
President Marcos Jr. is set to deliver his second SONA this Monday during the joint session of Congress.
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