Honeymoon’s nearly over

In a few days, October 8 to be exact, the honeymoon of elected officials ends.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama spent the morning at the Sinulog Hall for a “Meet the Media Leaders” session he organized. The invitation said the event would be a no-holds-barred interaction to tackle issues.

There were no nasty hits. He ended up doing most of the talking in his usual rambling, miting-de-avance style.

Mayor Rama responded to various issues – his favorite senior citizens’ financial assistance, water supply, waste management, energy, urban planning, flooding and other disasters, investments and revenue generation.

The mayor got through the polite grilling with a big smile.

How will Cebu get sustainable water supply? How will City Hall earn enough revenue for his ambitious projects? How prepared is Cebu City for a big flood? Why the disordered growth of high-rises and commercial buildings?

Rama skirted issues of the Carmen bulk water supply project. He said he “prays hard” it won’t rain because the city is flood-prone.

Other than saying that selling South Road Property lots and other real estate was “M-O-N-E-Y”, we were left with general assurances that City Hall is seriously looking for investors.

The mayor came across as very determined – or stubbornly hopeful – about a forthcoming budget battle with the City Council.

After 100 days of fencing with Osmeña-allied critics in the council and Tomas Osmeña himself in the sidelines, it will be a real test of leadership for the mayor to get a decent budget passed for 2014.

“I will bring it back,” he promised.

The deep slashes in his budget proposals remain battle scars from last year’s deliberations which reduced a P3.5 billion wish list of priority projects to P500,000.

You have to credit Rama for optimistic valor.

He told department heads clustered in front of him to push on: “Bring back all of the budget.”

Rama chose to speak with columnists, editors and broadcast commentators on the eve of his 100-day milestone. Behind the bravura, was a clear hope that somehow, public opinion would shore up his campaign with an unfriendly City Council.

In contrast, Gov. Hilario Davide III used part of his 100-day honeymoon to directly ask people what they think should be priorities of the province in the months ahead.

The stakeholders consultative summit was held at the Capitol social hall . At the end of the day, Davide had a neat wish list topped by “good governance”, a better life for farmers and improved healthcare.

Davide, a first-time chief executive, is favored with allies packing the Provincial Board. He asked them to pass a “realistic budget” for 2014, shunning the “bloated” figures passed off in the previous Garcia administration.

The honeymoon is ending. Both CEOs-by-election now have to deliver with deeds, what they have been preparing for in their campaign war rooms and executive sessions. The skill of carving out a 2014 budget to make their vision come true will prove their worth.