Quisumbing appoints losing candidate as recla manager

CEBU, Philippines — Mandaue City Mayor Gabriel Luis Quisumbing has appointed an “assistant city administrator” to manage the traffic and security concerns at the North Reclamation Area (NRA) since this vicinity is not covered by any barangay in Mandaue City.

Labogon Barangay Councilor Marvin Soco was tapped to oversee the area and will serve as the assistant city administrator of the Mandaue City government, said Quisumbing.

Apart from appointing Soco as reclamation manager, Quisumbing said “reclamation tanods” will also help Soco in securing the NRA.

About 24 to 30 security services personnel from City Hall will be deployed. They will be stationed at the NRA for 24 hours in order to "give presence on the ground" aside from the given police visibility of the members of the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO).

“So their job primarily would be to oversee the deployment of security personnel, to make sure that the garbage collector and the cleanliness of the area are kept up and of course to do inventory and (to) recommend the repair of the road network and the street lighting and other concerns,” Quisumbing added.

Quisumbing said Soco resigned from his post as barangay councilor last Monday in order to function as the “reclamation manager” and as the assistant city administrator.

Soco ran for city councilor in Mandaue in the 2016 elections under Quisumbing’s slate, but lost.

The Ouano Avenue, Zuellig Avenue, Mantawi Drive are the areas that fall under the NRA of the city, which consists of business establishments, private hospitals, a mall and a hotel.

Putting a manager at the NRA will help address concerns on sanitation, as well as road conditions including street lighting because its issues are not immediately reported. (FREEMAN)