Almendras to help pitch Mega Cebu project bid

CEBU, Philippines - The Metro Cebu Development Coordinating Board (MCDCB) expects to bring ahead the Mega Cebu project to the members of the Cabinet, following its recent presentation to Cebuano Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras.

MCDCB board member Gordon Alan “Dondi” Joseph said that the group has asked Almendras to facilitate a meeting of the Cabinet members to be held in Cebu in order to present the Mega Cebu roadmap.

According to Joseph, the board is optimistic that Almendras will be able to convince the Cabinet members to hear Cebu’s multi-sectoral group’s program to pursue radical development for Cebu.

In a separate interview with Almendras, he said that he will bring the matter to the Cabinet members immediately, saying “holding a Cabinet meeting here is legal.”

Earlier, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) director general Arsenio Balisacan said that the members of the MCDCB board will work to bring the government into the picture of this project in order to realize its roadmap in transforming Cebu into a world-class metropolis.

While Balisacan sees the potential of the private-sector led development project, he said it would be good to deeply involve the government, both local and national agencies.

Balisacan said that the board should come up with projects to support mobility, competitiveness and livability.

He also asked the MCDCB to coordinate with the Regional Development Board (RDC) in Central Visayas in order to incorporate the Mega Cebu plan to the regional development planning.

Notwithstanding political boundaries and differences, the private sector in Cebu is leading towards pushing the 30-year masterplan Mega Cebu, putting the metropolis to the world map of top cities.

The MCDCB was established two years ago led by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation (RAFI) and six large private sector groups like the Cebu Business Club, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), among others, with plans and goals fully supported by IBM.

Aside from the six large organizations that are actively part of the MCDCB, there are also 14 local government units (LGUs) that have committed to participate in this plan to start off the project that brings “urban renewal” as Metro Cebu is showing signs of “urban decay."

The Mega Cebu project involves an integrated masterplan that will make greater Cebu, from Carcar City in the south to Danao City in the north a world-class metropolitan region.

Supported by IBM Philippines, through its Smart City campaign, this movement is seen to change Cebu’s landscape in the next 30 years, benchmarking the successful mega regions in Canada, like Vancouver, which also applied the same concept.

From 1995 to 2010 the population growth in Metro Cebu grew by 50 percent, from a total of 1.63 million in 1995 to 2.5 million living in the metropolis in 2010. Based on the current population growth rate, population is seen to hit 4.27 million by 2030.

While Cebu has not been able to keep up with its growth over the years, with the absence of good collaborative masterplanning, MCDCB is moving forward to “take good care of Cebu’s potential for growth.”

Almendras was in Cebu late last week as the guest speaker during the CCCI general membership meeting. /JMD (FREEMAN)