Rama gets Bautista’s ‘full backing’

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista yesterday vowed his all-out support for Mayor Mike Rama’s vision for Cebu city, especially on infrastructure projects that benefits the Cebuanos.

He said this during the launching of the “Plaza sa Katawhan” (People’s Park), which is just a stone’s throw away from the City Hall, Thursday night. Bautista said the said the park is a very welcome development. “Putting up a park in this buzzling part of Cebu provides a welcome venue for residents to bond with family and friends in the middle of infrastructure developments such as the CCLEX that serves as an Instagrammable backdrop of this park,” he said.

That is why, he said, he is fully behind Rama and extends DOTr’s full support, particularly on his infrastructure projects.

“We at the DOTr would like to extend full support to the infra projects of Mayor Rama who has transformed your city to new heights,” added Bautista.

“I hope projects like this park will cascade the efforts of government to ordinary citizens and residents, in the same way we are constructing airports, seaports, expressways and railways to improve mobility and connectively,” he added.

Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, on the other hand, said the “Plaza sa Katawhan” is a testament to what unity in government can do in realizing a vision for a “Singapore-like Cebu City with Melbourne features”.

Rama, on the other hand, said he was touched by Bautista’s message of support.

“I’m emotional. It’s not easy fighting…. It’s not easy standing (up for your projects),” he said.

Aside from the realization of Plaza sa Katawhan and further improvements and developments of the city’s waterfront area, the City Government also seeks the “management, operations, maintenance and control of all parts and open spaces within the city of Cebu.”

Last year, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. inaugurated the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP)-Cebu. The building used to be the American-period customs house or Aduana before it was converted into the Malacañang sa Sugbo until it was affected by a 7.1-magnitude earthquake.

In December 2019, the Cebu Port Authority and NMP signed a usufruct agreement to convert the heritage structure into a museum. - Caecent No-ot Magsumbol/RHM