Gwen against Mike’s proposal

CEBU, Philippines —  Governor Gwendolyn Garcia yesterday said the proposal to build additional rehabilitation center for former drug addicts and letting the province run and maintain it is not a practical move.

Garcia was reacting to Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama’s pitch to move the present city and provincial jails from their present location into a new, bigger jail.

Included in Rama’s plan is to use the to-be-vacated area as an additional rehabilitation center for former drug dependents as part of a national anti-drug program.

“He did call me up about it and he pushed forward that idea. I did not yet comment in any way,” Garcia said.

She went on to elaborate that the management of Rama’s proposed rehabilitation center is not part of the province’s responsibility.

“Spending on other facilities which are not our primary responsibility is, for me, a not-so-judicious use of provincial funds,” she commented.

“I don’t think we should really add another burden to the Cebuano taxpayers in yet operating and maintaining and spending for facilities such as those,” she added.

Garcia revealed that the provincial government has already reached an agreement with the Department of Health (DOH) regarding a rehabilitation center donated by Globe Telecom.

According to Garcia, DOH was “all too willing” to take over its operation; thus, another rehab facility, for her, will be a “waste of taxes.”

She has also informed Globe and reported that they agreed to the idea of allowing the DOH to take the reins.

The provincial government is also looking at turning over the services and facilities to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DWSD), as Garcia said the latter is more capable of handling these facilities than the province.

“I think it can be better run by them but which the province is spending for,” she said.

For the governor, it will be better off if the funds to be allocated to Rama’s proposal used instead in rehabilitation of provincial roads and bridges and water systems. These, the governor believes, are projects that benefit residents in the municipalities of Cebu.

“Kana lang usa gyud ang atong tinud-anay na responsibilidad, mao na’y atong unahon (That is our real responsibility. That’s what we will do first),” she said. — JMD (FREEMAN)