Mandaue City dads convene for inaugural session

Mayor Luigi Quisumbing mentions his plans for the city during the city council’s inaugural session at Mandaue City Sports Complex. At left is Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)

THE Mandaue City Council convened yesterday at the Mandaue City Sports and Cultural Complex for the inaugural session of 14th Sangguniang Panlungsod.

The event was graced by Vice Governor Agnes Magpale, Rep. Jonas Cortes (Cebu’s 6th district), Provincial Board Member Glenn Bercede, Mandaue City Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Glenn Soco and Mandaue Police Director Senior Supt. Jonathan Cabal.

The city council, presided by Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna, chose their president pro tempore, majority leader, assistant majority leader, minority leader and assistant minority leader,

The council voted for Demetrio Cortes Jr. as president pro-tempore, Nenita Layese as majority leader, Elstone Dabon as assistant majority leader.

Elmer Cabahug is minority leader while Benjamin Basiga is assistant minority leader. Cabahug and Basiga are both from One Cebu Party.

The council also invited Mayor Gabriel Luis Quisumbing to deliver his inaugural speech.

In his speech, Quisumbing mentioned key issues that needed to be addressed, including vehicular traffic and solid waste management to better serve the people.

Quisumbing said he asked Vice Mayor Fortuna if he could amend the traffic ordinance and impose stricter fines to instill discipline among the motorists.

“Nobody is exempted (from the ordinance). Even I myself or my driver would submit ourselves if we violate traffic rules,” said Quisumbing.

As to the Solid Waste Management, Quisumbing said that by next week, he will be implementing the total plastic ban in the city to cushion the effect of flooding.

Quisumbing said that a day after a downpour last week, the city engineering office was able to collect five truck loads of garbage, which caused flooding in some parts of Mandaue as it clogged the drainage.

“If we don’t implement this now, when? Every day is getting worse,” he said.

Despite the placing of bigger culverts in major thoroughfares in the city recently, the city still gets flooded during heavy rains due to undisciplined individuals and establishments.

Quisumbing said it is about time to update the Comprehensive Drainage Master Plan to address the flooding.

He further said that they were planning to privatize the collection and disposal of garbage. He also mentioned about their plans to buy the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) possibly this year to create a new government center at the back of the sports complex in place of the public market, convert the Mandaue Presidencia into a museum, streamline processes in all government offices to avoid redundancy of functions, implement automation, strengthen IT services, improve hospital services for the poor Mandauehanons, and provide housing for constituents living in danger zones.

Quisumbing said education is also on his priority list, including technical and vocational skills and college scholarship for deserving students.
Quisumbing’s 20-minute talk ended the inaugural session.