RDC approves flyover at the old bridge

My good friend Mr. Eric Du sent me a photo of what I would like to believe is a blatant election violation, the billboard of Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas on top of the Chow King restaurant in Mandaue City. We all know that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) issued guidelines and rules regarding the size of posters and billboards. The size of that billboard no doubt violates Comelec rules. Attention Comelec officials in Cebu: Take a look at this billboard and take it down if possible.

People are now asking, how can the Liberal Party (LP) that has anchoring its campaign on “Good vs. Evil” do such an evil thing? My clear understanding of what is good is that good people obey the law, while the evil ones do not care to respect the law. Before this matter gets out of hand, I suggest that the LP official who allowed this non-official billboard to be erected take to it down right away because otherwise people would say that the Noynoy-Mar tandem already violates our laws even if they’re not yet in power! How much more when they are in power?

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Last Tuesday, we took the long trip down south to Siquijor with our good friends, Mr. Paul Hubahib and Engr. Jose Mari Bigornia to attend the quarterly meeting of the Regional Development Council (RDC-7). From Liloan, Santander you cross to the Port town of Sibulan and ride to the Port of Dumaguete City. From there Siquijor is less than an hour’s fast craft ride in choppy waters. Arriving in Siquijor, we took a tourist bus at the Siquijor State College in Larena. Yes, tourism has also become a growth industry in Siquijor, which means our tourism boom has reached their shores.

I haven’t been back there since I attended an RDC meeting some 15 years ago. You can really see the growth of Siquijor by the numerous nice houses that you see along the road. They now call their island, “The Mystic Island” where one can enjoy a great time at the beach and get a soothing “Hilot” massage. They have veered away from the old but repulsive campaign using the myths and legends of witchcraft practice. Thanks to the great effort of Tourism Region 7 Director Patria “Dawnee” Roa who was awarded during the RDC meeting. Dawnee Roa had a 17-year stint at the Tourism Department that very few Regional Directors can claim.

Some people may say that RDC meetings are boring, but without the RDC, we would never see the construction of roads and bridges, schools and water well. As I was the chair of the infrastructure committee for many terms and later chair of the Development Administration committee, I would like to say that the RDC has truly done well under the leadership of Gov. Gwen F. Garcia. But understandably, she couldn’t attend the RDC meeting due to her hectic campaign schedules.

For the information of our faithful readers, let me give you some of the infrastructure projects that are being lined up for Cebu City. There is the widening and concreting of the Banilad-Talamban Road including Road Right of Way (RROW) acquisition. That is along the Mahiga Bridge where two lower bridges from Cempark will be constructed and another on the other side coming from Talamban to turn right towards Montebello.

My pet infra project, which is the construction of a flyover along the junction of Gen. Maxilom (Mango Ave.) and M. J. Cuenco Ave. is still being lined up for funding, while another project that I did during my stint with CITOM seems to have been stuck in a bureaucratic limbo is the widening of M. Velez St. from Escario St. to the M. Velez Bridge, which until now is hanging, while motorists continue to suffer from bad traffic.

The parallel road to Escario St. is still there which starts from the Guadalupe sports complex, then with a bridge crossing over the Guadalupe River towards the Boys Scout Road then down to Peace Valley behind Bo. Camputhaw and another bridge crossing the Lahug Creek to the University of the Philippines (UP) Lahug complex. This was just one of the campaign promises by former Defense Sec. Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. that he would do if he becomes President. He also agreed with the need for another link to Mactan.

The best news I can give you at this time was the approval by the RDC for the funding the construction of the flyover at the end or the foot of the first Mactan Bridge. This was something we envisioned ten years ago, but due to the lack of government funds, it is only now that this has been approved. This is good news for the people living in Lapu-Lapu who will no longer get stuck in traffic when they pass the old bridge. There are a lot more projects coming our way. But like what I told you, only GIBO Teodoro took pains to study what we Cebuanos need and what he will do when he wins. In short, if GIBO wins the Presidency, Cebu will be blessed with infra projects!