Dizon, Arcilla bare platforms

CEBU, Philippines —  Issues surrounding housing for the urban poor, water supply, lack of fresh produce from the city’s mountain barangays, flooding, hospitals, and traffic are among the platforms of two aspiring bets for Cebu City councilor come May 13 elections.

During the #KnowYourCandidate episode of The FREEMAN Thursday, aspirant Alvin Dizon and reelectionist Alvin Arcilla have presented their plans should they be elected in the upcoming midterm elections.

Arcilla, who has pending disqualification case before the Commission on Elections over issues on terms as legislator, said he is still waiting for the resolution of the poll body but revealed that he will avail of all legal remedies.

For the issues on lack of fresh produce from the city’s mountain barangays, Arcilla cited a latest survey showing only 20 percent of the vegetables in the city’s markets come from Cebu City since the rest of the supply is sourced from Bohol, Negros, and provinces in Mindanao.

“The problem sa atong kabukiran is that walay kwarta ang mga mag-uuma nato maong dili sila kapananom,” he said.

The city is now addressing the issue by granting an annual loan of P50,000 to qualified farmers.

Arcilla said there’s a need for the city government to continue monitoring and giving support to the farmers as they are an important sector of the community too.

As for health matters, Arcilla said there is an ongoing move to improve the Guba Community Hospital so that patients from the mountain barangays will no longer have to go to the city proper to seek medical attention.

Another problem that the city is facing, he said, is the lack of water supply.

Arcilla said the city should put up its own dam, adding that he will pursue other measures that would address the problem.

As for the housing problem, Dizon said there are currently 10,000 families or even more that are living along the danger zones in the city.

He said he will propose a legislative measure that would establish a condominium for these people and for other urban poor families.

Dizon also said he would push for the reasonable lot price of the 93-1 beneficiaries, adding that it needs an ordinance for the guidelines of the payment of the properties that will be given to the beneficiaries.

“Active ta sa mga consultations for the 11 barangays covered sa 93-1. I will be one of the officials to make sure nga affordable ang presyo sa luna para sa mga beneficiaries sa 93-1,” he said.

As for flooding, Dizon said the city has to complete the comprehensive master plan to address the matter, adding that the whole land area of the city is interconnected with each other.

The traffic situation in Cebu City is also one of the pressing concerns in the city, said Dizon and Arcilla.

Both aspirants believed that the national government should assist the city government in fully implementing the Bus Rapid Transit Project that will alleviate the measure.

By the time the BRT will be implemented, they said people who own cars will no longer be enticed to bring their own cars because of the comfortable and reliable mode of transportation.

The two bets believed that an efficient mass transport system would address the worsening traffic problem in the city. — KBQ (FREEMAN)