Another flyover to reject

Just as the Cebu City Development Council rejected proposals for new flyovers, the Department of Public Works and Highways is planning another one  in the junction of Gorordo Avenue and Doña Modesta Gaisano Street.

Again the project was crafted without consulting stakeholders or the Cebu city government.

Let me reiterate the position of the law: Before any national infrastructure project could be implemented in a locality,  there must be consultation and local government approval for purposes of transparency.

Luckily this time the city government through Mayor Michael Rama is asserting its right against the undemocratic  practice of the national government.

But why is the national government doing this? I think it is because they were unable to do it before without any opposition. And of course we all know that infrastructure projects are usually accompanied with commission or graft and corruption. The lesser the participation of any government official the better because only a few would have to share and divide the loot.

Many are happy with the position taken by Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson in listening to pubilc outcry and  suspending all  flyover projects until demands of the affected local government unit are met.

I really hoped  the national government through the DPWH and  members of the House of Representatives respect the rights and responsibilities of the local unit affected.

The Cebu City Development Council recently said that the utmost need of the city today is a drainage system, not flyovers, because of the rainy season.  I think that should be respected by all government officials.

The flyover budget could better be used for the drainage system.

* * *

Businessmen and  consumers have complained about the recent decision of the Energy Regulatory Commission in approving an increase for power rates in Metro Cebu.

The prices of petroleum products have gone down and any increase in power rates affects the operating expenses of business.

The Philippine’s cost of electricity  is considered one of the highest in Asia and will dampen the interest of  foreign investors .

Lawyer Joel Bontuyan,  director of the ERC, clarified that the increase is being implemented to recover the National Power Corp.’s losses due to years of paying costlier fees.

Well, it is of public knowledge that Napocor, a government owned and controlled corporation,  is saddled with graft and corruption. That’s why it was privatized to stop it from bleeding further.

Any of power rates at this time cannot be justified and should be opposed by the public as an additional burden at a time of economic difficulty all over the world.

* * *

It is better for the Cebu city government to purchase school supplies to be given for free to public school children.

The pupils and their  parents would be happy with this project of the city government. Councilor Joey Daluz is trying his  best to fund the project through the Special Education Fund, which is a component of property taxes in the city.

He’s seeking the consent of the President to do so because government auditors said using the SEF for this purpose is not allowed.

Daluz will seek an exemption of the rule or charge the cost to the general fund of the city.

The only reason some city officials are objecting to the project is their  fear that what they did before will be done by the current City Hall administration – use the school supplies for the 2013 campain.