As newly elected leaders in Cebu lay out plans for their term, business leaders underscored the importance of working together and achieving concrete goals that will benefit the province.
Philip N. Tan, Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry president, said that it would be natural for government officials to make promises but at the end of the day it would always be the results that would matter.
“Results will define what you are as a leader. There is nothing new with new officials having these promises but what we would like to see however is more collaboration between the public and private sectors towards achieving these goals,” said Tan.
Tan said that the business groups will always be willing to help government achieve its goals provided they are well consulted before any new policy will be implemented.
partnership
“PPP (public private partnership) is really an ideal platform for a more effective governance. Consultations should be done especially on matters that will really impact the business community,” said Tan.
Cebu Business Club president Gordon Alan Joseph agreed with Tan.
Joseph said the last election showed that people clearly wanted change.
“Our new and renewed leadership will be exciting to watch. Everyone’s hopes are high. This recent election was probably one of the most significant for Cebu in a very long time as it reflected a clamor for change, and a move away from the goals of short sighted traditional politics,” said Joseph.
Joseph added that this term for the government leaders in Cebu will also see major steps being taken by the Metro Cebu Development Coordinating Board (MCDCB), which is a public-private partnership organization of 14 local government units including the Cebu Provincial Government, Mandaue City and Lapu-Lapu City.
indicators
“From all indicators, 100 percent of our LGU leaders are behind this effort to achieve global competitiveness, sustainability and livability for Mega Cebu,” he said adding that if everything goes according to schedule, “there is a good chance that we will have a Mega Cebu transport, land use and water drainage master plan completed before the end of 2014.”
Prudencio Gesta, past president of Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry urged fellow businessmen to support the new Cebu Governor, Hilario Davide III and the reelected Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama.
He added that the programs and priorities that Davide and Rama laid out during their inauguration are more than enough to propel Cebu as a whole to soar higher and improve further its economy.
“Let’s maintain the wholesome and strong private sector and LGU partnership to create better business environment for the best interest of Cebu,” said Gesta.
CCCI president Lito Maderazo shared the same sentiment as Gesta saying they feel much optimism in the new leaders and hope that they will keep what they have promised to the Cebuanos.