Rama’s Singapore-like Cebu

Singapore-like Cebu. This was what highlighted Mayor Mike Rama’s inaugural speech. This is how he envisioned Cebu to become. And expected, it generated cheers from his supporters, --some may be just a matter of going along with the crowd-- and jeers from his critics.

I don’t want to be anticlimactic, so let me say that for Cebu City to be like Singapore in the future is a beautiful thing to behold. The picture of it brings a sense of progress and a sense of pride, for to be in the league of countries like Singapore or to come closer to such status will be the start of the day where no country or race will look down on us. Gone will be the days where some of us will hide our true nationality.

Let us not, however, hesitate to compare this great vision of Rama with the realities in Singapore and how Singapore became what it is today.

Singapore’s story is a story of political will. It is a story of strong leadership. It is a story of having fire in the belly. Thanks to Lee Kuan Yew, the man behind the success of Singapore.

I am not saying Rama cannot make it. The battle will be cultural. It will be a battle against corruption and inefficiency. It will be the end of the politics of compromise.

There is no doubt that Rama is a charismatic leader, someone we can approach anytime or sing with anytime. But will this trait prove a liability, instead of an asset?

One of the reasons the problem of squatting remains unsolved or unaddressed is the lack of ability of politicians to implement our laws. They make the people in the slum areas their political capital. What is important for politicians is that they win in the elections. They don’t like taking great risks.

A vision, couched in big words, powerfully delivered by leaders may excite people for a while, but that will not automatically turn such visions into reality. When the beating of the drums ends, when the balloons are released, and when the cheers are gone, the real battle begins.

Rama, of course, knows what symbolism is all about. He appointed retired general Debold Sinas as his adviser for peace and security. If there is one thing that stands out in the minds of anyone who has been to Singapore it is the fact that the country is so peaceful. No criminal is roaming around.

But Rama did not stop here. He went on to paint a picture that in City Hall efficiency is the rule. Employees will be undergoing serious evaluation. He warned that in the next six months 3,000 employees will lose their jobs if they will not perform well. We know that, being veteran politician that he is, he knows this also means losing 3,000 supporters or a big number of them.

His critics are quick to point out that Rama’s declaration of his vision for Cebu City does not jibe with the people’s perception of Rama: Hesitant and always trying to please everyone. A classic example was his promise to have those involved in the anomalous distribution of ayuda following the typhoon Odette investigated. He later on again changed his tone.

We do not really know. Deep in the heart of everyman, politicians included, is the desire to leave a legacy, and no legacy is greater for a politician than plucking his constituency out of poverty and corruption, which is what Singapore is also about.

We will know in the coming days if Rama is hell-bent on achieving his vision.

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The FREEMAN will be celebrating its 103rd anniversary on Monday. That it is the longest-running newspaper in Cebu is a testament to the trust that the Cebuanos reposed upon it. My warmest congratulations!