Cebu mayoral candidates bare plans

CEBU CITY—Four mayoral candidates from Cebu’s first district took the center stage on Wednesday to present their vision for Cebu during the first of the series of Mega Cebu Candidates forums, which are being sponsored by various groups, including the Cebu Daily News.

Rep. Eduardo Gullas, of Cebu’s first district, who is running for mayor in Talisay; reelectionist Carcar City Mayor Nicepuro Apura; San Fernando mayoralty candidate Lakambini Reluya; and Mariano Alegarbes, independent candidate for Carcar mayor, faced a panel at the Cebu Cultural Center inside the University of the Philippines Cebu College compound.

Questions ranged from various issues such as traffic, infrastructure and development projects.

Gullas, who is on his third term as congressman, said he wanted to have a study on Metro Cebu traffic prepared to enable officials to find ways to ease congestion on the city’s streets.

He said he was banking on his grandson, Gerard Anthony, who is running to take over his seat in Congress, to push for the completion of road-widening projects in the Cebu South Road that would create an additional two lanes.

He said he believed the project would attract investors in the first district.

To solve the city’s traffic woes, Gullas proposed the establishment of a Cebu Light Railway Transit, which could be subsidized by the national government.

Mayor Apura said he wanted to push Carcar as a heritage city and vowed to protect century-old trees that are being threatened by ongoing road-widening projects.

He also vowed to address flooding in his city through a comprehensive drainage plan.

Reluya admitted that San Fernando town is lagging behind other areas in Cebu.

The Mega Cebu Candidates forum was mounted by business chambers and various partners in civil society to give candidates an opportunity to present their vision on Cebu without the conventional fanfare.