Poor decision

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña has finally made good on his promise to exempt the city government from participating in any event the Metro Cebu Development and Coordinating Board (MCDCB) is initiating.

Yesterday, Cebu City was the only local government unit in Metro Cebu that was not represented in the traffic management summit spearheaded by the MCDCB at the Social Hall of the Cebu Provincial Capitol.

Osmeña has long been opposing the creation of Mega Cebu, a concept promoted by the MCDCB that encourages collaboration and coordination among LGUs in Metro Cebu on development programs and policies.

Criticizing Mega Cebu as an entity run by self-proclaimed professionals, the mayor said he does not need it to implement projects in the city. "I will not deal with Mega Cebu. To me, they're fly-by-night NGO (nongovernment organizations), mga selfproclaimed experts," he said.

But many see Cebu City's nonparticipation in the traffic summit as a poor decision because it could have contributed ideas crucial in the effort to solve the worsening traffic situation across the metro.

Cebu City has been the destination of practically all vehicles coming from north and south of the province, becoming the epicenter of Cebu's horrendous traffic problem since it has the largest volume of moving vehicles in the metro.

Any effort to solve the metro's traffic problem will not succeed without the participation of Cebu City. That is because any unified approach the body will implement will certainly not be effective with the city not being part of the blueprint.

Osmeña and the city's traffic authorities have missed the opportunity to have their voices heard at yesterday's traffic summit. The city should have taken the lead in the campaign for an integrated traffic system because it is Cebu's center of economic activity and it is the city that will absorb the heaviest toll if authorities fail to come up with a solution.