Other points of dissimilarities

The reactions to my previous columns comparing the work outputs of the city councils of Cebu City and Mandaue City continue to pour. They keep arriving in unexpected torrents, as if I opened a kind of Pandora's box. Some come from residents of Mandaue City and naturally, they are very glad to realize that their Sanggunian, in 2012 at least, did a tremendous job compared to that of Cebu City. They keep laughing on the 27 ordinances passed by Cebu City Council as just about ¼ to the 124 ordinances churned out by the legislative body of Mandaue City.

There are other reactions that are obviously sent by Cebu City voters who feel betrayed by the apparent low production of their councilors. They could not understand how our honorable sanggunian members, more numerous in composition (18 compared to Mandaue's 12) and facing more demanding challenges, could have thought of fewer legislative measures. If only our councilors could internalize these thoughts, they would feel a wide range of negative emotional curve from simple disappointment to outright indignation. 

Among the more profound reactions, however, came in a form of a innocent-looking question. What important subject matter was covered by a Cebu City council in 2012 containing a similar ordinance also enacted upon by the Mandaue City sanggunian?

A search for an answer brought me to a piece of local legislation whose title seemed to outline a great vision. It arrested my attention because its topic dwelt on education. Ordinance No. 2320, “An Ordinance Establishing The Cebu City College An Institution Of Higher Learning For the Poor But Deserving Constituents Of Cebu City And Authorizing The Appropriation Of Funds Therefor, was passed on February 22, 2012, under the sponsorship of 4 councilors namely Hon. Abellanosa, M. Osmeña, A. Dizon and R. Cuenco, and the vice mayor, the Hon. Joy Augustus Young.

The Mandaue City counterpart ordinance was not passed in the year 2012, though. The Sanggunian Panlungsod of Mandaue City, enacted Ordinance No. 10-2005-324, entitled Establishing The Mandaue City College And Authorizing The Appropriation Of Funds Therefor, on September 27, 2005. The sponsors were Honorables C. P C. Fortuna, J. C. Cortes and W. O. Gakit. Chronologically speaking therefore, the councilors of Mandaue City envisioned of creating their city college almost seven years ahead of the thought processes of Cebu City's best.

So, when our councilor's echoed bragging rights of having crafted an ordinance that attempts to address the educational needs of our young, the youths of Mandaue City were already graduating from different offerings of their our city college. Uwahi jud kaayo ang Cebu City and it may not be completely impossible that the Mandaue City College served as Cebu City's model.

There is one ordinance of each city that focuses on identical public safety concern. The title of the Cebu City SP measure “An Ordinance Requiring Any Person Who Manages and Operates Commercial Or Public Swimming Pool In The City of Cebu To Have A Lifeguard At The Poolside x x x” sounds similar to the Mandaue City enactment - “An Ordinance Requiring Owners, Managers And Operators Of Hotels, Villages and Subdivisions, Leisure Parks, Resorts And Other Related Establishments And Whose Amenities Include A Swimming Facility To Provide Trained And Accredited Lifeguard(s) x x x”. The Cebu City ordinance, authored by Hon. R. Osmeña, was approved on August 22, 2012 while that of Mandaue City's passed thru its legislative mill on June 6, 2012. Again in point of time, Mandaue City was ahead by few months.

It appears to me that in reading the title of these two ordinances, the one passed by Mandaue City seemed to have been better conceptualized. Its coverage is more realistic. There are swimming pools that are not commercial in their nature but their use have to be regulated just the same and the Mandaue City requirement of a trained and accredited lifeguard offers less loophole than that of our own.  This is an example of divergence of thoughts among councilors but whatever differences there are in the other ordinances under similar subjects are the results of the different frames of mind.

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