Carillo, Cuenco bare Cebu City platforms

CEBU, Philippines — Two aspirants under the banner of Cebu City’s opposition party have vowed to address issues on drainage, traffic, education, solo parenthood, and health should they be elected as city councilors come May 13.

In the #Know YourCandidate episode of The FREEMAN yesterday, aspirants Antonio Cuenco and Gerard Carillo presented their priority legislations if they are able to secure seats at the City Council.

“My family advised me to retire because they said I have been serving the people in the South District for a long time -- 25 years, pero ako silang giingnan nganong mopahuway man ko nga my legs are still strong, my mind is still sharp,” Cuenco said.

#KnowYourCandidate is an interview series for the CEBU VOTE, the election coverage of The FREEMAN and Banat News.

Cuenco had been elected seven times as Cebu City representative to the Lower House, serving a total of 25 years.

He said he wants to use his experience in the Congress for his stint at the City Council where he can pass resolutions and ordinances that would help address the problems of the city’s residents.

One of the priority legislations he has in mind is allocating P200 million for the St. Anthony Mother and Child Hospital on top of the P100 million annual budget the hospital gets from the national government. Cuenco sponsored the congressional measure that established the public hospital.

Cuenco also said he wants to increase the allocation for the medical assistance to city residents, following reports that the medical assistance of the current administration is not enough.

As for the traffic problem, both Carillo and Cuenco believe that officials should support the implementation of the Bus Rapid Transit project since it is already there.

Widening and expanding of the existing roads should also be implemented to cater to the increasing number of vehicles in the city, they said.

In the aspect of drainage, they said the city should pursue an integrated plan to address the problem.

Carillo, son of former city councilor Gerry Carillo, said officials should revisit the “archaic” plans and programs in line with the drainage to ensure that the problem will be addressed in a holistic manner and not as a band-aid solution as what seems to be happening now.

Carillo also he wants to introduce amendments to the existing programs for senior citizens, scholars, and solo parents.

“I want to enact a law for college students here -- a student loan program wherein they can pay for it when they graduate,” he said.

Both candidates also agreed to put up a city college for Cebu as it would complement the existing scholarship program.

As for the pending bill on lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 15 years old to 12 years old, both Carillo and Cuenco said the government should focus on increasing its capacity to rehabilitate the young offenders before implementing such amendment. — JMD (FREEMAN)