CEBU, Philippines - Businessman and co-chairman of the private sector-led Mega Cebu Movement Roberto Aboitiz said the national government is not giving Cebu enough support when it comes to development projects.
Based on his presentation yesterday during the Mega Cebu Leaders’ Convergence Meeting, Aboitiz said there was no project for Cebu City from by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board.
“What stands out is that there is nothing for Cebu. This is an awareness that these are happening. We (have to) go back to determine whether enough has been done, what has been done, why is it that we continue to be absent from the list of the major projects,” he said.
“So we’ve got to make decisions here as leaders in the community. All of us carry some sort of influence. At different levels we must use this, to construct a master plan, a plan for Cebu addressing the major concerns that we mentioned. Once the decision is made we can introduce this in a form of a program of work perhaps the DPWH can help us here identify the steps, the process to follow so that we end up having this being budgeted in the DBM. Then we move into the last phase which is implementation,” he added.
Early this week, NEDA Board approved infrastructure projects amounting to P307 billion expected to be completed by President Benigno Aquino III as soon as possible.
The places with projects approved by NEDA were Metro Manila, Laguna, Puerto Princesa, Iloilo, Bacolod, Bohol, Cagayan de Oro and Davao.
However, NEDA-7 Regional Director Efren Carreon said there is a need to finish first the feasibility studies of requested projects.
“If you want the national government to finance our big projects we should finish our feasibility study. We should complete our homework. Let us finish the feasibility studies, so we can line that up in the NEDA board deliberation. Without the feasibility studies it can’t be entertained,” he said.
South District Representative Rodrigo “Bebot” Abellanosa had the same concern as Aboitiz.
He said for this year, the Department of Public Works and Highways allocated almost 30 percent of their total budget to Mindanao, 52 percent for Luzon and only 18 percent for the Visayas.
He said it seems that there are five major islands in the Philippines – Mindanao, Visayas, Southern Luzon, National Capital Region and Northern Luzon – instead of just three.
“It continues to be Imperial Luzon and Imperial Manila. Compared to Manila we are getting much, much less (budget allocation). I complained to the secretary (DPWH Rogelio Singson) also in the budget presentation and hearing. This is so sad to note the secretary said it has been like that over these years even before him. Most of the projects are there in Luzon” he said.
Aboitiz also said based on rankings, Cebu City is tenth nationwide when it comes to economic dynamism, fifth in infrastructure and seventh in the overall competitiveness ranking in 2014.
Meanwhile, during the meeting yesterday, Engineer Fortunato Sanchez Jr. of Metro Cebu Development Coordinating Board Research, Program and Organization said that there is a need to strictly implement the three-meter easement zone law in order to widen the rivers in the city to solve the flooding problem.
He said compared to other places, Metro Cebu has narrower rivers.
Sanchez said if this problem will not be solved, the 167 flood-prone areas in the city could increase to 330 by 2050. — Mechelle P. Florita/BRP (FREEMAN)