City wants seat in CPA

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Council has requested the two congressmen of the city to sponsor an amendment to the charter of the Cebu Ports Authority to allow the city government a representation in the Cebu Port Commission.

 A resolution sponsored by Councilor Richard Osmeña was recently passed by the council requesting Representatives Raul del Mar and Rodrigo Abellanosa in the north and south district, respectively, to take the initiative.

 Osmeña said the CPA is within the territorial boundaries of Cebu City and anything that involves peace and order issues in the port area will necessarily affect the city. However, the city government is not represented in the CPA board.

Osmeña added that affording the City of Cebu a seat in the CPA governing body is consistent with its policy in providing efficient, safe, economical, and coordinated system of movement of goods and persons through the port related to peace and order issues.

It was Del Mar who authored the bill creating the CPA Charter that empowered its board of directors to manage the operation of the various ports throughout Cebu.

At present, the Cebu Port Commission is composed of seven members with the Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communication as chairman. The six other commissioners represent the ship owners and shipping operators, cargo handling and labor sector, business sector, and the CPA general manager.

They are DOTC Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya and his alternate Undersecretary Julianito Bucayan Jr., commissioners Teotimo Ballesteros Jr. (business sector); Tomas Riveral and Joselito Pedaria (cargo handling and labor sector), Marino Fernan (shipping sector), Benjamin Akol (shipping sector) and Mary Nimfa Borromeo as corporate secretary.  (FREEMAN)