Mayor leaves for Rome, Young takes charge

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama left Cebu yesterday for Rome, Italy to attend the Oct. 21 canonization of Blessed Pedro Calungsod.

He will be away for a week.

In his absence, Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young takes over as acting mayor.

Before leaving, the mayor met with City Hall department heads and left instructions for staff not to engage “in politics”.

He also made sure the P10,000 cash aid to 32 households displaced by a demolition in barangay Luz was available.

The Dept. for the Welfare of the Urban Poor started releasing the cash on Tuesday. So far eight families have resettled in a relocation site of their choice.

The mayor also tasked Councilor Roberto Cabarrubias to look into temporary shelters for pilgrims who will come to Cebu for the thanksgiving Mass for Calungsod at the South Road Properties on Nov. 30.

Cabarrubias, who is in charge of the Devotee City for Sto. Niño devotees who come for the Sinulog festival in January, said he will meet today with 2Go cargo forwarders and utility firms, to discuss a similar scheme of using empty cargo vans in the Compania Maritima grounds.

A Devotee City for Calungsod pilgrims may take shape.

During the Sinulog, 110 20-foot cargo vans were stacked together for makeshift dwellings and provided with free water, electric power and toilets.

Cabarrubias said the meeting today would also be a preparation for the Sinulog.

Before leaving for Rome, the mayor told his staff to also prepare for the canonization of Calungsod and start planning ahead for the Sinulog in January 2013 and the Cebu City Charter Day in February.

City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete was also directed to take care of homeless families temporarily staying at the City Center Commercial Complex in barangay Kamagayan.

Mayor Rama is set to return on Oct. 24.

After the meeting, Rama went to G. Urgello Street to inspect a road concreting project. /Correspondent Tweeny M. Malinao and EDISON DELOS ANGELES