Is this really our beloved city of Cebu
With the Sinulog Festival over and done with tonight, Straight from the Sky brings you a discussion of the future of Metro Cebu three to four years from now, the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) should be open to motorists who for so many years have suffered bad traffic traveling from Cebu City to the Mactan Cebu International Airport or to the fabulous beach resorts of Mactan Island.
To give us a background of the CCLEX we have with us its president Allan Alfon. The CCLEX is a subsidiary of the Metro Pacific Tollways Development Corp. (MPTDC) who announced the construction last January 2016 and for the construction to commence in 2017. So technically this bridge is now one year delayed. But as Mr. Alfon pointed out, construction will start in the first quarter of 2018. MPTDC also clarified they will be responsible for the funding of the construction and operation of the CCLEX.
So watch this interesting talk with Mr. Allan Alfon about the third bridge to span the channel between mainland Cebu and Mactan Island 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.
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The articles that I wrote last week about the challenges happening in Cebu resulted in a lot of reactions. But this emailed letter from Mr. Alex Asero should be an eye opener for Cebu City Officials who unfortunately do not listen to Cebuanos. So I give my column today to Mr. Asero to air his grievances about our beloved Cebu City.
"Hi Sir Bobit: I would like to share my experiences and observation of Cebu City for the past 10 years or more. I am a Bicolano who came here in Cebu City after I married my wife (Cebuana) and settled here. We have one daughter a Grade four student in Lahug. We live in a comfortable life spending the three of us during weekend to foster a strong family relationship.
"People are saying that Cebu City is a good place to live but for me, maybe 10-15 years ago when there were a few people, food was cheap, just simple living and no traffic. But not anymore! Now it's really like Metro Manila already. I am just wondering that for a couple of years why is it Cebu City is in the top 10 richest cities in the Philippines? Well to be a City with ample budgets you have to have good basic services for its people and better infrastructures in place. But I do not believe Cebu City has what I mentioned.
"I observed that since I settled here, there are still no improvements whatsoever. Take for example in Tisa, Punta Princesa, Labangon or Buhisan, if you take their inner roads, the infrastructure there is very lousy and in very bad shape. I kept on wondering why is it that Cebu City government kept on tolerating this when if you read on the local newspaper they will say that roads will be improved or cemented?
"Politics and blaming each other is the first thing I observed and hated most because it affects the ordinary people. If you have brand new car, your car will easily worn out because of bad roads. Next is Carbon Market, for a rich City we should have a proper and good City Market. Every night when I fetch my wife in Colon, I can't imagine seeing vegetable and fish vendors displaying along the streets is this a City or not? Without designated area, its very disgusting and dirty looking at.
"Cebu City is now getting worse to look at it when it comes to cleanliness, scavengers and beggars roaming along the streets. PROBE, CITOM or whatsoever names they call it are tolerating it and not even arresting them. It's an eyesore for local and foreign tourists. Investors are moving away from Cebu City to Mandaue just to expand their business because Cebu City is no longer business friendly city. I will believe Cebu City is a rich city if there are big improvements especially sa infrastructure. For now, I rate Cebu City as 'Failed!' Thanks. Alex Asero."
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For email responses to this article, write to [email protected] or [email protected]. His columns can be accessed through www.philstar.com.
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