Programs and plans

It was really expected of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña to highlight his plans and programs for his constituents during his last Tuesday's State of the City Address, his third since returning to the City Hall following his election in 2016.

After all, being the mayor, he is expected to deliver what the city inhabitants want him to accomplish. Basic services are what the people want him to focus on because they serve as a bridge between his government and his constituents.

It's good that Osmeña emphasized the need to strengthen the medical assistance for the city residents. During his SOCA, he boasted that at least 52,000 beneficiaries received free medicines daily through the Long Life Medical Assistance Program (LLMAP).

With beneficiaries including those with arthritis, diabetes and hypertension, LLMAP was implemented in June 2016 and it is Osmeña's first program upon his return to City Hall. Its purpose is to reduce mortality rate in the city and make it the lowest in the country.

It was also good that Osmeña mentioned cleanliness as one of his prime concerns. Although he receives fewer complaints on trash, the mayor said the city government continues to improve its collection of garbage.

It is in this area that the city leadership failed to score a high mark. As we see it, garbage collection around the city still needs more improvement considering that there are areas where uncollected trash is still the number one concern of residents.

We have to admit that Cebu City still lags behind other areas in terms of trash collection efficiency. While some cities have long adopted measures that maintain cleanliness, the city remains saddled with the problem on how to harmonize its garbage collection system.

Compared to peace and order, a thing solely under the police, cleanliness is the prime responsibility of the city, which has the power to castigate barangay officials who failed to address the garbage problem in their areas.