Who’s better for Cebu City?

Of course, many will immediately conclude that I would be inclined to support my “kumpare”, Nestor Archival, in the next elections. That’s a given. We live in a country where we often cast our votes for relatives, loved ones, or friends, who are running in the next elections. But many of us do make comparisons among candidates and consider their qualifications. Or if not that, what their platforms of government are. Or what they intend to do for their term, if elected. Sadly, there will always be some who sell their votes…still a given in this country.

But how do we measure up candidates? Academically, we look at three aspects --physical, economic, and social. There would be a lot of etcetera after those three, but these are not as important as those three. Physical --what kind of city do we want? How would it look like? We’ll be looking at roads and bridges, land use and zoning, and interconnectivity. Economic --how will our people fare in the future? Or in the next three years at least. Foremost would be business and job opportunities. And lastly social --what’s up for the poor and less-privileged. Schools, hospitals, etc.?

There are limitations to what one can do. Especially for infrastructure – considered the main pillar for economic growth. Due to how our governance is structured, the national government provides most necessary infrastructure. There are physical projects that local governments implement, of course, but due to the revenue-generation structure, the financing capability is limited. Many cities and municipalities always rely on the national government for infrastructure. Especially for transportation.

But Cebu City had an advantage because early on, decades ago, former mayor Osmeña started the ball rolling for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). Of course, then and until this time, there are naysayers, mostly the trainspotters (colloquial term for rail enthusiasts) who can’t accept that rubber tires can serve people equally as steel ones. Even after the national government started to build a BRT when there is an LRT-3 running above EDSA. Part of our upbringing when small boys will always choose a toy “choo-choo” train over a toy bus during Christmas.

Sorry, guys, people in government, even those with biases, will always be constrained to choose the mode with the highest economic rate of return, and no rail for the same ridership can match a BRT. Let’s not insist on boyhood preferences, NEDA has made the decision and it’s the BRT for Cebu City. And who better to lead the city as mayor than Archival, who was there from the very start of the Cebu BRT. Not that the other candidates are totally bereft of understanding the system, but no one in the list now can fully and comprehensively explain how a BRT works and what are its economic advantages except Archival. Not to mention that Archival is an environmental advocate. We can be sure that when he leads, he will protect Cebu City’s environment, so that our children, their children, and the future Cebu City, won’t be deprived of a lasting environmental legacy.