Rama still wants to remove some Pope John Paul II trees
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama wants to pursue the earthballing of some trees on the center island along Pope John Paul II Ave. even after the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC).
He also wants flaring to be done at the intersection of Pope John Paul II and Salinas Drive.
Rama also wants the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) to study the possibility of opening up a new road that would connect F. Cabahug St. to Cebu Country
Club in Barangay Banilad to provide an alternative route to Pope John Paul II Ave.
“(It’s) not necessarily (for) IEC alone. It’s already a real problem when you will be passing San Jose dela Montaña (former name of Pope John Paul II Ave.),” Rama said.
He said civil society organizations, like the Movement for a Livable Cebu (MLC), have already agreed on how the earthballing of the trees should be done.
Just last month, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 favorably endorsed the city government’s request for the earthballing of 13 trees to the undersecretary for field operations in DENR Manila.
It was supposedly part of the preparations for the IEC last month.
CCTO executive director Rey Gealon said he received the communication from DENR 7 regional director Isabelo Montejo last January 25.
The city earlier wanted to remove some of the trees on the center island to allow easier maneuvering of buses ferrying delegates to and from the IEC Pavilion in the San Carlos Seminary Complex.
Since they were not able to do so, the city had to make some adjustments, including the closure of half of Pope John Paul II Ave., particularly the part fronting the seminary. Classes were also suspended in some schools for the week-long event.
Rama criticized the bureaucracy in DENR.
“I do not know why DENR is not coming out with quick help and coordination. Why so much technical requirements when we’re talking now of serving the general welfare?” he said.
He said this is why he wants Vice President Jejomar Binay to become president since he said he would promote “city-centralization” instead of centralization in terms of coordination between local governments and regional agencies.
Rama even said one of Binay’s plans is to make the Malacañang sa Sugbo near the Fort San Pedro fully functional and hold office there from time to time.
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