Mayor Osmeña says Cebu City financially stable

TOMAS ‘TAUNTS’ DUTERTE ADMIN ON P600M URBAN POOR AID

Cebu City is surviving financially.

This was a highlight in Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s report during yesterday’s celebration of the city’s 81st charter anniversary.

A member of the Liberal Party, Osmeña seemed to be taunting the Duterte administration, saying he was to secure at least P600 million aid for the city’s urban poor from the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

“We are the only one in the Philippines that is availing of this program where we will get P600 million for urban poor in cash. When I say we are the only one, means we are the only one, not even Davao is getting. This what shows you our ability to get funds. Bisan naa hambugero didto si Michael Dino to give you national projects. Ako Liberal Party gyud ko mas bright gyud ko, ako mokuha gyud ko kuwarta sa iyang administrasyon,” Osmeña said.

The mayor also said the city is surviving on its own method.

“I wish to report to you that the billion peso sale proceeds from the anomalous sale to SM, Ayala and Filinvest… we did not touch the proceeds. We are surviving on our own scheme and our revenue collection has gone up,” Osmeña told the crowd at the Plaza Sugbu yesterday morning.

The sale was made at the tail end of the term of former mayor Michael Rama, but Osmeña did not use the money and wants it returned to the investors, contending that the sale was illegal as it was made without authority from the City Council.

In 2015, the city government declared the consortium of Ayala Land, Cebu Holdings Inc. and SM Prime Holdings as the highest bidder with P10.009 billion for a 26.3-hectare property, while FLI was the highest bidder with P6.7 billion for a 19.2-hectare property.

Osmeña said the city has regained the trust of some of investors, particularly on the proposed development of the Kawit Island at the South Road Properties.

He said the city’s solid waste management has improved compared to the previous years.

TRASH SEGREGATION

Starting March, the city will reinforce the implementation of its trash segregation scheme, fining those who will violate policy.

The move is part of the measures the city is implementing to help reduce the trash being disposed at the private-owned landfill in Consolacion town.

Once this is implemented, only biodegradable waste, which is 50 percent of the 600 tons of trash per day, shall be dumped in Consolacion.

This would result to lesser expenses in the hauling operation of the city government. Last year, the city government spent P312.5 million for hauling operation.

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

In the area of traffic management, Osmeña said the city government is working on a plan to regulate habalhabal through the ride sharing app Angkas.

“We can regulate the habal-habal drivers with or without the approval from the national government. We will just do it on our own. We cannot wait for them,” he said.

Moreover, Osmeña said he wants to resolve, once and for all, the 93-1 issue.

“We have not finished that. We are going to give 5,000 families what we promised them from the very beginning. We give them lots where they can build their own houses,” he said.

The controversial 93-1 issue goes way back to Osmeña’s previous term of office when the city’s supposed deal with the provincial government to swap lots so as not to displace city residents living on Capitol property slipped.

“We still have many things to do. But we have the confidence that with the people that are supporting me, we will continue and be able, not only to survive, but we will prosper and I will show you what Cebu City can be when everybody is working together,” he said.