Metro Cebu needs a MCTA!
For my special presentation on our talkshow Straight from the Sky (SFS), we bring to your television screens the spanking brand-new Mactan-Cebu International Airport Terminal 2. This was a project that we designed for MCIA since the late 90's but finally this has become a reality three years ago when the GMR-Megawide Consortium won its 25-year bid. SFS timed this show to appear this time because on June 7 we will be doing a blessing of the new Terminal 2.
Three weeks ago, MyTV Channel 30 came up with their short documentary of our first visit to the construction of Terminal 2, which was nearly completed. Its roofline was quite remarkable as it is made of wood and as we inspected the terminal, the GMR-Megawide officials didn't show that they were scrimping on things. They have made this International Terminal 2 a very special airport to come and visit and soon, it will become one of the best-looking airports when you compare it to other airport facilities. In my view, the GMR-Megawide Consortium has done a wonderful job here in Mactan and we can expect more from this consortium in the years to come.
With me tonight is Mr. Andrew Harrison. Many of us in Cebu media fondly call him as Cebu's foremost tourism advocate. Indeed, Mr. Harrison is not just a simple airport manager; he is a man of all seasons. So it would truly be an interesting date on June 7 when we finally bless Terminal 2. So watch this interesting discussion tonight on SkyCable's channel 53 at 8 p.m. with replays on Wednesday and Saturday same time and channel. We also have replays on MyTV's channel 30 at 9 p.m. Monday and at 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday.
***
If there was something that just came from the Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, he wanted a Metro Cebu Traffic Authority (MCTA) for us in Metro Cebu. Mind you, this was something that we learned from that very first traffic summit way back in the mid-nineties that we held and this was the output of that traffic summit. Remember, we did that traffic summit long before Metro Cebu experienced what we now call "traffigedon"! So in short, what Secretary Tugade just told us is something we realized a long time ago!
Unfortunately, 20 years ago, our political leaders found out that our traffic problems were beyond their political agendas, hence MCTA was never hatched even if the majority of those who attended the traffic summit wanted such an authority for traffic management. But whether they like it or not, an MCTA is something that we need today if we want to solve our traffic problems.
I still recall why then Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña did not agree to having an MCTA, because he felt that the other local government units didn't have the know-how on traffic management, so it was best for only the City of Cebu to have properly-run traffic operations and management. But that was more than 20 years ago and the situation has risen that we should again look and study very carefully about the need for an MCTA.
So the question is, what are we going to do about this issue? For sure, an MCTA has become a necessity for Metro Cebu and at this point, we can only hope that Secretary Tugade can do much to help create this very important government agency that we needed yesterday!
***
North Korean leader, Kim Jung Un met South Korean President Moon Jae in for the second time, thus reviving once more that meeting with US President Donald Trump in Singapore hopefully by June 12. The two Korean leaders meet for two hours at the demilitarized zone and exchanged their "opinions" more focused on carrying out a future US-North Korea Summit that US President Donald Trump called for.
Earlier, that summit for June 12 was temporarily cancelled when North Korea complained about a military drill that the US and South Korea recently conducted. Then suddenly the leaders of the North Korea and South Korea met unexpectedly and it seems that the US-North Korean Summit might just push through. For the sake of world peace let that meeting proceed!
- Latest
