Cortes turns challenges into strength, outlines development agenda

CEBU, Philippines — Former Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, who is seeking a return to office in the 2025 midterm elections, vowed to build on the progress of his previous terms and push for greater development in Mandaue City, undeterred by the political storms that tested his leadership.

In his recent appearance on The Freeman’s “Know Your Candidate,” Cortes said he won’t make promises to solve every challenge faced by the people of Mandaue but assured them that he is ready to listen, respond, and serve with genuine commitment.

“Sukad kaniadto hantod karon, ang liderato nako is not about the loudest slogan or self-promotion. Ang akoang serbisyo nakita, nahikap, ug napahimuslan sa atong mga kaigsuonan,” said Cortes.

Reflecting on his political setbacks—having been served with dismissal and disqualification orders by the Office of the Ombudsman and the Commission on Elections Second Division, respectively, before ultimately obtaining a temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court—Cortes said it was all a blessing in disguise, as it gave him the chance to rest and reflect on what needed to be done.

“It made me stronger,” Cortes said.

Despite the challenges Cortes has faced on his path back to the mayoralty, he said these trials have also opened up new opportunities for him.

Cortes, a firm believer in the Performance Governance System (PGS), implemented this framework in Mandaue City starting from his first term as mayor up to the present.

Through this, Cortes said that residents have learned to actively participate in problem-solving and decision-making, rather than relying solely on their leaders.

During his early years as mayor of Mandaue City, he said that through PGS, the city underwent a significant transformation—something he considers one of his major milestones in governance.

One of the success stories he highlighted was the transformation of Mandaue City’s former open dumpsite, which he recalled used to emit a stench strong enough to reach neighboring cities like Lapu-Lapu City.

He said that as mayor, he convened all department heads to ensure that not only government agencies but also the public were involved—starting from information dissemination all the way to execution.

He eventually enforced the “no segregation, no collection” policy for waste management, which was fully implemented and embraced by the barangays down to the residents of Mandaue.

Additionally, through the Performance Governance System, Cortes said Mandaue City was able to push forward and achieve many firsts in its history.

It positioned Mandaue City as the first local government unit (LGU) to establish a command center equipped with fiber optics, to pioneer the Electronic Business Processing and Licensing System, and to partner with the Department of Information and Communications Technology for the city’s digitalization.

He said that with these innovations, benchmarking from other LGUs became possible, and the city’s revenue continued to grow through digitalization—even amid the challenges brought by the pandemic.

Plans and projects

As he hopes to return to his role as Mandaue City’s local chief executive, Cortes has laid out plans to address key issues such as traffic, flooding, healthcare, and education.

For traffic and flooding concerns, Cortes emphasized the importance of cooperation and coordination between cities and neighboring towns to effectively address these challenges.

Cortes said that since traffic and flooding are issues the city has to accept and deal with, it would be better to have a unified committee to assist LGUs in addressing these concerns—since he considered these problems interconnected.

“Nindot kaayo og naa tay management committee or board ngamutabang or mu assists sa mga government bahin sa issue sa traffic ug flooding kay interconnected and interrelated,” Cortes said.

He said that coordination was made possible during his term when the cities of Mandaue and Cebu, led by former Mayor Mike Rama, joined forces to rehabilitate the Butuanon and Mahiga rivers.

This collaboration was formalized through the signing of a memorandum of agreement, aiming to take their efforts in addressing flooding to the next level.

Cortes said that after the agreement, a technical group from the two highly urbanized cities met and even reviewed the master drainage plan.

He also shared that the Regional Development Council (RDC) committee should be depoliticized, with leadership coming from agencies rather than mayors or governors, to avoid any bias.

He said this after revealing that many projects aimed at addressing flooding and traffic issues were not continued due to changes in leadership within the council, which often led to projects being politicized.

Aside from this, Cortes said that if re-elected as mayor, he would continue the Coastal Highway project, which was initially started to address the traffic situation in Mandaue.

He said that the project will undoubtedly help decongest major roads and highways within Mandaue City, providing significant benefits not only for the city but for the entire Metro Cebu.

As a corridor city, Cortes said that the future Coastal Highway is crucial, as it will provide a circumferential bypass road for vehicles traveling from both the north and south.

On the other hand, with his concern over the zero allocation for the PhilHealth subsidy, he emphasized the need to allocate sufficient funding for healthcare in Mandaue City.

He likewise emphasized that the health sector in the city deserves attention and concrete solutions.

With this, he plans to establish health centers in five clusters across Mandaue City—Centro, Kadagatan, Kabukiran, Butuanon, and Mahiga—which will serve all 27 barangays.

Meanwhile, Cortes also shared that through the Special Education Fund, Mandaue City is ensuring that by the next school year, all elementary public school students will receive free bags, shoes, and school supplies.

If elected, Cortes vowed to continue and further expand this initiative for students, providing quality education for all.

Cortes said that education support won’t be limited to elementary levels, but will extend up to college.

He added that Mandauehanons can expect the construction of a Mandaue City College building in Barangay Looc, on the site formerly occupied by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology’s female dormitory.

At present, MCC students are temporarily housed and are having their classes at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex.

Cortes said that the new building will be funded locally, and once the transfer is finalized, the site development plan will immediately begin.

He reiterated that although the budget is locally sourced, it would be better to also have support from the national government. Cortes emphasized the importance of strong collaboration between national and local leaders in the city.

Speaking of leadership, Cortes expressed confidence that the people of Mandaue are wise enough to choose leaders who will serve them well over the next three years.

Vouching for himself, Cortes said that he has already proven his leadership in the city.

“Si Jonas Cortes nakita na, nahikap, napahimuslan ang mga programa,” he said.

Despite the adversities in his political race, Cortes expressed confidence that Mandauehanons will make wise voting decisions. –/ATO (FREEMAN)