Biz group backs RDC-7

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu Business Club has rallied behind the stand of the Regional Development Council against flyovers and depressed structures, believing that they would just add to the worsening traffic problem in Metro Cebu due to “poor” traffic management.

CBC President Gordon Alan "Dondi" Joseph has expressed the group’s stand in yesterday’s 888 News Forum at Marco Polo Plaza Cebu where government infrastructure projects were among the subjects for discussion.

Joseph, a member of the Economics and Development Committee (EDC) of the RDC in Central Visayas, said Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) reported P1.1-billion in economic losses due to heavy traffic in Metro Cebu.

“We in the business community are already tired of this (traffic gridlock),” said Joseph.

The CBC is an advocacy-oriented business group whose agenda include good governance, competitiveness and sound urban planning and metropolitan management. The group is composed of influential decision-makers who are all business owners or senior executives.

Joseph also sits as the chairman of CBC’s executive committee, which helps in crafting and managing the implementation of MCDCB’s policies and strategies. The committee is also responsible for developing the master plan. It covers the sub-committees on infrastructure and utilities, transport and traffic, comprehensive land use and planning, and institutionalization.

Joseph lamented that there are plans proposed by experts, such as the Metro Cebu Development Coordinating Board (MCDCB), but remain unimplemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Joseph said the present RDC, which is chaired by a private sector, cares enough to offer viable solutions for the betterment of Cebu.

“Tama na, it’s time for change, it’s time to support the new RDC,” he said. 

Present during the forum were RDC-7 Chairperson Kenneth Cobonpue, an appointee of President Rodrigo Duterte, and RDC-Infrastructure Development Committee (IDC) Chairperson Glenn Soco.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña earlier described the RDC-7 officials as “incompetent” for allegedly blocking infrastructure projects pushed by North District Rep. Raul del Mar.

“We are not obstructionists,” Cobonpue said yesterday.

Soco, for his part, said they don’t want politics to influence the RDC.

He called on public officials and government agencies, such as DPWH, to coordinate with RDC-7 in implementing projects based on plans.

Aside from flyovers and depressed structures, Soco said DPWH has a lot of good projects in the pipeline.

“It’s a matter of careful planning and implementing projects in proper sequence,” Soco said.

Since last year, Soco said RDC-7 had endorsed numerous projects, including the Metro Cebu Expressway, North and South bypass roads, the Mactan Road Network Upgrade, widening of H. Cortes, and New Connector Bridge in Bohol, among others.

Cobonpue and Soco said RDC-7 refused to endorse other projects like the proposed depressed structures at the intersections of UN Avenue and Plaridel St. in Mandaue City due to lack of traffic management plan. —Banat News Copy Editor/KBQ (FREEMAN)