More projects for Cordova coming
Despite the rain brought by tropical depression Agaton, Cordova Mayor Mary Therese Sitoy-Cho delivered her State of the Municipality Address during the town’s 105th Foundation Day celebration last Monday, New Year’s Day, assuring more projects are in the pipeline to ensure Cordova will have a bright future.
A third-class municipality, Cordova became a municipality with 13 barangays on January 1, 1913.
While she reported her achievements in 2017, Cho said they expect more projects ahead and continue to build and improve infrastructure to cope with inevitable development.
Cho said they continue to leverage Cordova’s strategic location at the foot of the planned third bridge over the Mactan Channel by working closely with their partners, the Cebu City Government, Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., and the Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corp. on how to maximize opportunities that will be provided by this infrastructure project.
The third bridge was envisioned by her father, her predecessor in Cordova and now Presidential Adviser on Legislative Affairs and head of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office, Secretary Adelino Sitoy, who was present during the affair.
Cho said 2017 was a very challenging year for her when her father left the town to her. Adelino resigned on September 2016 as vice mayor of Cordova when he was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte to a position in Malacañang.
“Although he has never failed to guide me in the performance of my responsibility as your mayor, I admit it makes a great difference if he is with me every day in the municipal hall,” said Cho.
For 2017, Cho reported an increase of 58 percent or P38 million in their town’s income compared to 2016. The increase was attributed to local taxes and internal revenue allotment due to the increase in the number of businesses in the municipality, market operations, and the Gilutungan Marine Sanctuary.
Cho said they continue to improve programs for women, protection of children and the family, employment of Cordovahanons, quality education, scholarship programs, and health services, among others.
“We continue to partner with the private sector to be able to implement more projects for the people. Our P4 or the PublicPrivate Partnership for the People projects, most especially to further develop our tourism industry, is very dynamic,” she said.
As economic development takes its toll on other sectors, especially the environment, Cho said they are also looking into possible solutions for the emerging garbage problem as early as now.
“Rest assured, these challenges will not stop the Municipality of Cordova, under my care, to continue striving and reaching our goal of becoming a competitive and sustainable eco-tourism gateway in the Visayas and paving the way to a world-class eco-tourism hub through economically viable and socially-acceptable investments and pursuits,” Cho said.