With the historic Fuente Osmeña park in need of better care, both Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III agreed that joint management was better than a long-drawn court battle over ownership.
“Jun Davide (Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III ) and I both recognize that we need to help Fuente,” Rama told reporters yesterday.
“Look at Fuente, it looks very ugly compared to Plaza Independencia and even the Senior Citizens Park,” Rama said.
The park’s maintenance is handled by the city government. Tourism stakeholders recall that the fountain and park were in better shape when hotels and business establishments took turns as sponsors for taking care of the landscaping, lighting, sanitation and security.
Rama said the 102-year-old park needs to be spruced up in time for the 2016 International Eucharistic Congress and next year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) events in the city.
Governor Davide said he wasn’t interested in pursuing the legal action started by his predecessor Gwendolyn Garcia, who went to court to assert the province’s claim over the fountain in 2007 at a time when City Hall was headed by her political foe Tomas Osmeña.
Davide said the over 100-year-old Fuente Osmeña Circle is a landmark that is part of Cebuano culture and shouldn’t be a source of dispute between local governments.
“I would even prefer that the province and Cebu City jointly manage it so that anyone who might want to use it for business and entertainment purposes may use it,” he said.
Rama said he will discuss the co-management proposal with Davide.
City Councilor Noel Wenceslao, who heads the urban planning committee, said it’s better if the city alone manages the rotunda under a formal management agreement between the province and city.
“After all, it is located within Cebu City and the city is capable of managing the rotunda,” Wenceslao said, adding that it is all right if the province insists since it established a claim on the land.
Davide said he was bothered by the court dispute and would like it to be resolved it as soon as possible.
“It belongs to the people of Cebu, not just people of Cebu City, but all Sugbuanons,” Davide said.
Provincial Legal Officer Orvi Ortega said even with their manifestation in court offering a joint management of the Fuente Rotunda, the province is still asserting ownership of the area.
He said if co-managing is acceptable to the city government, then the court can render a decision based on a compromise. Correspondents Jose Santino S. Bunachita and Victor Anthony V. Silva