Super-highway to solve Cebu traffic – Cortes

CEBU, Philippines - Creating superhighways in the mountain areas of Cebu is among the key developments that gubernatorial candidate Rolivet "Boyet" Cortes wants to work on if he wins in the coming elections.

Cortes, a creative and media planner handling multimedia and mass media production, shared his visions for Cebu during the "Know Your Candidate: Cebu Vote 2016 Roundtable" of The Freeman and Banat News.

He said superhighways are the key to solving Cebu's worsening traffic problem.

"The long term solution mao kini ang paghimo og comprehensive development plan for the entire island of Cebu and that is to be called as 'Heart of Cebu'. This means development of super super highway at the top of mountains that is about 180 kilometer development from the towns of San Remigio in north of Cebu down to the boundaries of Dalaguete, Badian, and Alcoy in down south," Cortes said.

The superhighway, he said, will interconnect the roads into different municipalities.

"Pag magaling imong gobernador, with ability like a very good salesman, definitely you can bring that idea to the office of the President to sign an executive order to implement that 'Heart of Cebu' as Agro-Ecotourism-Industrial Zone," Cortes said.

Cortes said the superhighway that he envisioned will be built at no cost to the government through build-operate-transfer (BOT) scheme. He estimated the highway to cost at least P5 billion.

He is more than 100 percent sure that financing companies will invest in the project.

Cortes added that promoting and selling Cebu to investors is doable and possible by electing a leader whose programs and actions are God-centered.

As an independent candidate, Cortes is confident that Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte's raising of his hand would help boost his chances of winning.

First 100 days

Streamlining bureaucracy and transferring the provincial seat of power to the mountains are among his priorities within the first 100 days in office.

"And my objective is to initially and gradually transfer the seat of provincial government right at the very center of the mountains of Cebu. I think that this area for that is sentro siya sa Balamban, Toledo, Naga, Minglanilla, Talisay City and Cebu City," Cortes said.

According to him, the next governor should have a skill of a salesman.

"Kailangan ang mosunod nga gobernador sa probinsya kay naay skill ba, equipped with knowledge and skills of a very good salesman," Cortes said.

He said Cebu needs a governor who is good and can be trusted enough.

He is also planning to have festival to further promote Cebu before the international community. He is eyeing a festival called Asia Tropicana Cebu that will have a guaranteed prize of $1 million to entice participants from around the world.

 "Cebu will become the center of attraction, so it's time for all the Cebuanos to shine," he added. (FREEMAN)