Mandaue points the way

And we always thought Cebu City would lead the way. Apparently not, given its fractious politics and the way the mayor there has behaved strangely, to say it mildly.

It now appears that the people of Mandaue did not make a mistake in voting for Luigi Quisumbing and Carlo Fortuna as their new mayor and vice mayor as well as the majority of their party mates. The former mayor, Jonas Cortes, had this vision of a new Mandaue and began steps toward moving the city into the 21st century, with many concrete and visible changes most especially with traffic lighting systems and a network of cameras at strategic intersections of the city.

Now Mayor Luigi has built on his predecessor’s steps and, with barely a month in office, has passed a no-contact apprehension ordinance, the first in Cebu, sponsored by returning Vice Mayor Fortuna. That is what happens when you have forward-looking leaders who, as President Rodrigo Duterte craftily said in his Sona, do not allow the past to drag them down.

If this is going to be a gauge as to the kind of leadership the people of Mandaue should expect, then I have no doubt that the city is in for better times, far better than Cebu City, where one already hears of dismays, disappointments and regrets from many quarters.

I always had this vision of Cebu City as eventually becoming a Singapore in the sense of a disciplined populace in a very livable environment. It now seems that Mandaue is in fact the city to watch with Mayor Quisumbing and Vice Mayor Fortuna at the helm. That they have started with instilling discipline on the streets and punishing those who refuse to follow traffic rules augurs well to making the city more livable. It is not farfetched to imagine other fresh and welcome changes in store for the city.

One can only hope that those around the mayor, incidentally, will not throw their weight around and end up ruining a good run at managing the city. I hear of one incident that may in fact be a learning experience for one of the mayor’s people especially when it comes to international investors who can move their investments elsewhere if they feel their getting the run-around.

This is, I hope, part of the birth pains for a mayor who, together with his management team, is on his first term and should not be used as a yardstick for the next three years that he will be at city hall.

As Mandaue marks its 47th anniversary at the end of this month as a chartered city, let me wish the new mayor, vice mayor and their city council all the best as they steer the city to greatness.

* * *

Let me greet my good friend Dave Bryan Latonio on his 35th birthday yesterday. At the same time, I wish to congratulate him for being appointed general manager of Bombardier Philippines last July 1. Bombardier, as we all know, is the maker of trains, train engines that run all over Europe and Canada as well as parts of the United States. Philippine Airlines propeller planes also run on Bombardier engines.

* * *

Let me also welcome back to Cebu City from the Big Apple, my former student and esteemed friend Rufo Escabarte, also know as Natalie Strider, who gave me and my colleagues at USC an unforgettabl e whirlwind tour of New York last year. He is back for a brief stay and also to celebrate his 30th birthday today at Costabella Resort.