Guingona to endorse bill on Mega Cebu agency

Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide lll jokes before he signs the paddle after the meeting with officials of the Japanese embassy and businessmen at the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. where a presentation of the Mega Cebu program was held. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

Sen. Teofisto “TG” Guingona III said he’s willing to sponsor a Senate version of the bill proposing to create the Mega Cebu Development Authority (MCDA).

Engr. Fortunato Sanchez Jr., chairman of the infrastructure and utilities subcommittee of the Mega Cebu Development and Coordination Board (MCDCB), disclosed this in yesterday’s board meeting.

“Two or three years ago, I informed him that there was an upcoming proposed MCDA bill. He said he was willing to sponsor the Senate version,” he told reporters.

The House version of the bill was approved by the Lower House’s committee on government enterprises and privatization in February this year.

Since the present Congress is no longer in session, the proposed measure will be filed again during the 17th Congress.

But legislators will pick up from where they left off, Sanchez said.

The MCDA is seen to render services that have metropolitan-wide impact and transcend local political boundaries.

It is tasked to coordinate plans and policies for Metro Cebu.

Sanchez said the MCDA will be similar to the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), only better.

“Most likely, it would be a better version of the MMDA. We know the deficiencies so we can correct that and apply it to the MCDA bill,” he said.

The proposed bill was filed last Oct. 9 by principal author, Cebu City North District Rep. Raul del Mar and was co-authored by Reps. Gerald Anthony Gullas (1st District), Wilfredo Caminero (2nd District), Gwendolyn Garcia (3rd District), Benhur Salimbangon (4th District), Ace Durano (5th District), Luigi Quisumbing (6th District), Aileen Radaza (Lapu-Lapu City Lone District), and Rodrigo Abellanosa (Cebu South District).

Sanchez said Guingona was also instrumental in pushing for improvements to the Road-Right-of-Way (RROW) bill initiated by the MCDCB, sponsoring the proposed measure in the Senate.

Del Mar sponsored the bill’s Congress counterpart. The proposed bill hastens, among others, procedures in acquiring a RROW.

Sanchez said all that’s left for the bill to become a law is the president’s signature.

Evelyn Nacario-Castro, Metro Cebu Development and Coordinating Board–Research, Program and Organizational Development (MCDCB-RPOD) representative, said they were also looking at tapping Sen. Sergio “Serge” Osmeña III to sponsor the bill.