Cayetano wants some government agencies moved from Manila

CEBU, Philippines - Senate Majority Floor Leader Alan Peter Cayetano will file a bill in the next few weeks to transfer some national agencies to the provinces as a way to decongest Metro Manila.

One of these agencies he wants transferred is the Department of Tourism and he wants it moved to Cebu.

“Cebu is the jewel in the crown of tourism in the country. Even in the 80s, Cebu was a favorite destination. Kilala talaga ang Cebu sa turismo. Cebu is building one of the best airports. So, bakit hindi natin ilipat yung DOT dito?,” Cayetano said in a press conference yesterday.

He said 70 percent of the DOT employees are living outside Metro Manila.

If he were to decide, he would retain only the House of Representatives, the Senate, Malacañang, Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in Manila.

Even congressmen do not have to hold their session at the Capital all the time, he said.

“In the next few weeks we will be rolling out a legislation and programs that will show this. Decongesting Metro Manila is one of the challenges I am going to show to this government and to the present crop of candidates,” he told the Cebu press.

He explained that Metro Manila is getting 30 percent of the country’s total budget while the rest of the regions get only 3.5 to 4.5 percent because the national agencies are highly concentrated at the capital.

“We would like to espouse ideas not necessarily for me or for any other candidate but for people to embrace and to fight for. This is not just change, this is transformation,” Cayetanosaid.

He contended that moving the offices outside of Metro Manila does not have to wait after next year’s elections.

 “Parati nalang pag-election, may magandang plano pero pagkatapos ng election hindi naman itutuloy. So, bakit hindi gawin ngayon nalang?” he said.

“Why don’t we as politicians prove to the people that we can get things done?” he said further.  (FREEMAN)