‘Band-aid’ solutions not smart: Business leaders call for long-term solution to Cebu traffic woes

CEBU, Philippines - Band-aid solutions to ease the traffic problem, especially during big events such as the International Eucharistic Congress, will not make Cebu an appealing destination for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibits (MICE), business leaders said yesterday.

"Cebu traffic is awful in general. We need sustainable solutions, not just event related solutions. We will never be competitive with the current traffic situation, which is worsening," said Cebu Business Club (CBC) president Gordon Alan Joseph in an interview yesterday.

Good thing, he said Cebuanos are able to avoid critical routes, like himself, while others had to move their scheduled meetings in less crowded areas to evade traffic, which is considered as the "enemy of productivity."

Tourism capitalist Jonathan Jay P. Aldeguer expressed a similar sentiment saying Cebu's strong appeal as premier tourism and MICE destination should be given a serious look, because temporary solutions would no longer fit in these competitive times.

"As expected our roads and infrastructure have never been addressed with long term goals in mind," Aldeguer said.

According to Aldeguer, for a city that has been growing rapidly for the past decade, "not enough is being done to address the problem.

Cebuano traders, whose influence and businesses fuel the sustained economic prowess of Cebu are again trying to make their voices heard for the government to manage the growth well.

"Whether there's an IEC event or not, the traffic situation in Cebu has already gotten out of hand," Aledguer added.

However, the Hotels, Resorts and Restaurant Association of Cebu (HRRAC) expects that this event, which followed closely from last year's APEC Summit, will give another big boost for Cebu, specifically for its MICE positioning.

HRRAC president Julie Najar told The Freeman yesterday that although activities of IEC are generally out-of-site from hotel units, hotels still provide for preferences like food, prayer rooms, adjusting opening and closing schedules of facilities like gym, among others.

"IEC has provided another opportunity for Cebu to showcase itself to host international events," said Najar.

Najar added that the IEC is just a start for more international and big MICE events that are set to be held in Cebu this year going to 2017. (FREEMAN)