Cuenco wants Mambaling flyover named after Cerge Remonde

CEBU, Philippines - Should he be given another term in Congress, former Cebu City south district Rep. Antonio Cuenco will name the Mambaling flyover into Cerge Remonde Flyover.

Cuenco, who took a break when his term ended in 2010, now eyes to return to politics and will run again for congress next year.

The last project Cuenco had before he vacated the Cebu City south district’s seat in the House of Representatives is the four-lane flyover in Barangay Mambaling.

In a press conference yesterday, Cuenco said that naming the said project is in honor of the late Remonde who was a famous Cebuano journalist who served in the Cabinet of then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo until his death in 2010.

One of Remonde’s early jobs in media included being a stringer at the Philippine News Agency (PNA). He was an anchor for DYLA Interaction, a primetime news and commentary program.

He eventually became National Chairman of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), and was the first KBP chair to be elected to a 6th term.

In 2001, Remonde became press undersecretary in charge of broadcast and the executive director of the Radio Television Malacañang Presidential Broadcast Staff.

He also became the president of IBC Channel 13 and of RPN Channel 9.

He became Secretary of the Government Mass Media Group (GMMG) in 2004. In October 2006, he became the lead convener of the National Anti-Poverty Commission while serving as Secretary of the GMMG.

He later became Director-General of the Presidential Management Staff and on February 1, 2009, was appointed as Press Secretary, a position he held until his death.

On January 19, 2010, Remonde was found slumped at his residence in Makati City. It was determined that his death was due to cardiac arrest secondary to myocardial infarction.

Cuenco said that the flyover costs more than P200-million funded by his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

Only P110 million was already spent although the project is now usable, he said.

Cuenco said that the remaining P100 million still has to be implemented and he hopes to complete it when he gets reelected to his post.  (FREEMAN)