Rama questions infra projects for Cebu City

CEBU, Philippines - While President Benigno Aquino III claims projects worth almost P23 billion have been given to Cebu, Mayor Michael Rama yesterday lamented the lack of infrastructure projects in the city.

During his regular press conference yesterday, Rama also disclosed that Cebu City got “zero projects” for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings that the city is hosting. Other host local government units like Lapu-Lapu City and Mandaue City got millions to prepare for the event.

Last Sunday, Vice President Jejomar Binay, an ally of Rama under United Nationalist Alliance, said the national government has not supported Cebu fully.

However, Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson rebuffed Binay’s claim in front of Aquino and Governor Hilario Davide III, reporting that almost P23 billion worth of infrastructure project was given to Cebu since 2010.

Aquino and Davide are allies in the Liberal Party.

Rama said the city has not received major infrastructure project from the national government.

“APEC came. I thought this is it that we are going to be the beneficiary of APEC. But, when two meetings and DPWH was reporting, zero was for Cebu City. Zero, in connection with APEC,” he said.

Asked if Cebu City requested for appropriation for APEC, Rama said DPWH should have taken the “cue,” considering that several meetings would be held here. In the end, in the absence of support from the national government, City Hall simply had to do deliver.

“No choice but to bring the pride and tell everybody to put our hands together for together we can make the best things happen for APEC while they are around,” the mayor said.

Rama said he would have wanted the city to have better equipment for traffic signalization so that it could be integrated with that of Mandaue City since road traffic is one of the concerns in transporting APEC delegates from one venue to another.

Another project that would have been beneficial, he said, is widening the Banilad-Talamban corridor.

“If they were quick in giving the money for the widening, then we can solve the whole area rather than wait for a congressman who will insist for a flyover,” Rama said, recalling the moment when he rejected the flyover project proposed by the president years ago.

“For APEC? They cannot anymore give. It’s supposedly the job of DPWH. And they will tell me, gitagaan ba mo diha nga gibabagan man ninyo – the flyover,” he added.

Rama said the city has infrastructure projects that cost billions but these projects are financed by the city itself.

Under the DPWH report, the DPWH Cebu City District Engineering Office has over P5.8 billion worth of infrastructure projects from 2011 to 2015.

The projects include the completed concreting project along M. Velez Street; improvement of two junctions near corner of Archbishop Reyes Avenue -Escario Street, and the corner of Salinas Drive-Archbishop Reyes Avenue; reconstruction and/or asphalt overlay in, along Banilad-Talamban, and M.J Cuenco.

Ongoing projects are concreting along A. Soriano Street, asphalt overlay along Talamban-Bacayan-Pit-os Road, and concreting project along Don Leon Kilat Street and Doña Modesta Street.

Also, the national government has poured “major infrastructure project” into the city such as the completed rehabilitation of Serging Osmeña Boulevard and the ongoing construction of U-turn depressed structures at Viaduct and Channel II Bridge of Cebu South Coastal Road, all under the Department of Tourism-DPWH convergence Program.

“Lahi man gyod ang APEC. Karon, nindot nalang kay nanawag sila (DPWH personnel) two to three weeks ago, taga DPWH. Niingon daw si secretary (Singson), asking unsa kuno ang mga dalan nga gustong ipasemento, lipaya nako.  Ana ko, seryoso mo?” Rama said, adding that he asked to continue the project along T. Padilla extension, side roads along S. Osmeña Boulevard, among others.

“That was only a part of P400 million nga wala nila mahuman og trabaho. Dili sa APEC. Humana ang APEC,” he added.

Rama said the Serging Osmeña Boulevard project was once anticipated to be widened, but the rehabilitation ended since APEC came.

The mayor is also asking for the list of projects implemented in the city as claimed by the national government. — (FREEMAN)