Dino defends Duterte against young criticism

CEBU, Philippines —  Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino yesterday defended President Rodrigo Duterte against criticism of the President’s statement that he will help source funds for a train system in Cebu.

"When you attack the President, it’s my duty and responsibility to defend the President. Joy Young has done nothing to solve the traffic problem. Here comes a President who has love for Cebu and thinks what is best for Cebu. Atoa na lang tabangan atong Presidente," Dino said in a press conference yesterday.

Young, a sitting Cebu City councilor, has said he does not see the wisdom of adopting the skyways and trains in Manila as a solution to the traffic problem in Cebu, contending that skyways and trains have not solved the problem in Manila.

"Who is he to question the wisdom of the President? The President came here on a Sunday, which is supposed to be his rest day to be with the Cebuanos and bring good news. Unya si Joy Young, mag question question sa wisdom sa Presidente?" Dino said.

"Young has to run for mayor if he thinks he is brighter than the President," he added.

Young is an ally of former mayor Tomas Osmeña who has pushed for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.

Dino said Cebu deserves a monorail, which it should have a long time ago.

"Manila has LRT (Light Rail Transit) since the 1980's pero kita diri sa Cebu, bisan usa ka kilometro nga train, wa gyud ta. It’s about time nga ang Cebu naa nay monorail with an LRT capacity (Manila has LRT since the 1980s but here, we don’t even have a kilometer of train. It’s about time that Cebu has a monorail with an LRT capacity)," Dino said.

He said Cebu is an old city and it needs to go up or go elevated to solve the traffic problems. Big cities anywhere on the world, he said, have a rail mass transit system integrated into other modes of public transportation

"For Metro Cebu, we will have the Integrated Intermodal Transport System wherein we will have a realigned Bus Rapid Transit system, a monorail with an LRT capacity and cable cars," Dino said.

The planned monorail here will travel from Cebu City to Mandaue City and to Lapu-Lapu City in Mactan, specifically to the airport.

This monorail has a 12,000-15,000 passenger capacity per hour per direction.

"This can really solve the traffic problem of Metro Cebu," Dino said.

Transportation secretary Arthur Tugade said earlier that the Integrated Intermodal System (IITS) will be partially operational in Cebu by the end of the fourth quarter of 2021.

This IITS will include bikeways, intermodal terminals, park and drive facilities, monorail, cable cars, and the BRT.

Tugade said expected the IITS projects to be completed two to three years after 2021.

Dino has been pushing for the urban realm development to modernize the Cebuanos’ mobility with the monorail as the backbone of IITS.

Dino said he is glad that the private sector is bullish in investing on a massive infrastructure project that aims to solve Metro Cebu's traffic problem.  JMO (FREEMAN)