Board to submit Metro Cebu Authority proposal to Congress
THE Mega Cebu Development and Coordinating Board (MCDCB) will submit to Congress its proposal for a Metro Cebu Development Authority before the legislators adjourn next month.
“That is our target,” Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III, chairman of the MCDCB, told reporters after yesterday’s board meeting in Lilo-an town.
The proposal will task the development authority to render services that have metropolitan-wide impact and transcend local political boundaries.
These include, but are not limited to, integrated development planning, transport and traffic management, solid waste disposal and management system, water supply, sewerage and storm water management, and disaster risk reduction and management.
Governor Davide said the proposal had been in the back burner for 14 years.
Consortium
“In 2001, Congressman (Raul) del Mar in the House and Sen. Serge Osmeña (III) in the Senate proposed the creation of this agency. That was 14 years ago. The implication is either Congress did not, and do not, see any urgency or that the proposals lacked popular support, or very likely both,” he said in a speech.
The board decided to call the agency Mega Cebu Development Authority (MCDA), in line with the Mega Cebu initiative.
Mega Cebu is a consortium of private sector and government stakeholders that envisions sustained urban growth in Metro Cebu up to 2050.
In order to achieve this, the consortium tasked the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to draft a roadmap study for sustainable urban development in Metro Cebu. The study was completed in May this year. Davide said JICA works on a government-to-government basis.
Draft proposal
“We have observed that it is important that we have a body with a legal personality to coordinate plans and policies for Metro Cebu,” he said.
The governor said while they are coordinating with JICA through the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), work will be easier if the MCDCB is turned into an official legal entity.
The MCDA will be similar to the MCDCB since it will cover 13 local government units in the province, including Carcar City in the south to Danao City in the north, with Lapu-Lapu City and Cordova.
The board members were tasked to study the draft proposal for a week and give their respective inputs on or before September 23./With Correspondent Mary Claire U. Catado
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
