Business leaders welcome Rama’s reelection, ‘friendly ties’ with Capitol, Mega Cebu progress

Some business group leaders see a positive outlook for Cebu with the re-election of Mayor Michael Rama in Cebu City and new executives in the provincial government.

For one, they look forward to a more open investment policy in the South Road Properties (SRP).

Second, the teamwork between City Hall and the Capitol may have a better chance of succeeding since chief executives of both units are “friendly”.

“What we are asking for from our local government officials is transparency. The SRP can be bidded out.  They have to provide a level paying field for all businessmen,”  said Philip N. Tan, president of the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Investment.

“Investment climate in Cebu is a top issue for businessmen both local and foreign. It’s time that LGUs give the right impression especially that the Philippines is now recognized as ‘open for business’ and that includes Cebu as a top investment destination in the country,” said Tan last week.

Tan said election results show that Cebuanos are look for change, and that leaders of City Hall and the Capitol should sit down and reassess their platforms and set up priorities that will stimulate growth for Cebu.

Jolting changes after the May 13 election saw the defeat of “political giants” like Rep. Tomas Osmeña who lost his mayoralty bid in Cebu city and the end of 18 years of Garcia clan control of the Capitol when Rep. Pablo John Garcia lost as gubernatorial candidate.

MEGA CEBU

Initatives for a Mega Cebu – a vision of coordinated growth in a metropolis of seven cities and six towns – have a better chance now of moving ahead, said Gordon Alan Joseph, president of the Cebu Business Club.

He said he sees  the reelection of Rama in Cebu City as a sign of smooth development for the the Metro Cebu Development Coordinating Board, which Rama supported during his first term.

“The Metro Cebu board is now work on flood control, sewage, traffic management plans and identifying sound and technically correct infrastructure projects in traffic signalization, mass transit, city circumferential road, improving intersection,” said Joseph.

“We have been working with JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) for the Mega Cebu Master Plan and JICA is happy with Mayor Mike and his support,” said Joseph.

He said the new leadership in the province with Hilario Davide III proclaimed as governor and Agnes Magpale as vice governor should make a good working team for Cebu’s growth.

“If the chemistry is good and they share the same vision and political will, then Cebu will be in good shape,” he said.

Davide was a two-term Cebu city councilor when Rama was still vice mayor.  Both lawyers had a close, harmonious relationship as they both belonged to the BO-PK and Liberal Party at the time.  (Rama later bolted the BO-PK in his first term and became Osmeña’s arch enemy.)

The Cebu governor is automatically the chairman of the MCDCB, a two-year-old body initiated by the private sector.

The co-chairmen are Roberto Aboitiz and the mayor of Cebu City.

SRP LOTS

On the 300-hectare south reclamation project, Joseph said more investors should come in.

“I see no problem with SRP lots being sold to competitors (of existing companies on site). The SRP lots need to be sold.”

The reclamation project, steered in the 1990s by Tomas Osmeña as Cebu City mayor, currently hosts a few large investors  – SM Seaside City, Filinvest, and Bigfoot Entertainment.

No clear master plan or detailed horizontal planning is in place as part of Osmeña’s approach to be “demand-driven” to stay flexible to global trends, and to avoid selling the land piecemeal to speculators.

The investors come in as lessors or joint venture partners of the Cebu city government.

“You have to adjust to where the world is going, Osmeña  said in an  888 News Forum this month.

“The SRP will be worth more than P100 billion in a few years. You make the slightest mistake, you lose P50 million. This is Cebu City’s future.  After the SRP, there is no more area to develop.”

The SRP was originally planned as an export processing zone but now  accomodates  the lease of land for a Bigfoot studio, plans for a shopping-commercial-residential complex in SM Seaside City and a condomnium-commercial resort development in Filinvest.

In his “basic guidelines”, Osmeña  said he simply has a “negative list” of what enterprises to reject  – “no warehouses, no surplus equipment, nothing that creates pollution in the SRP.”

Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Lito Maderazo said that the people have spoken and that everyone should now put aside partisan politics and move forward.

“Our political leaders need a lot of support from all sectors of society, particularly the business community. We should capitalize on the trust and goodwill we are now getting from the local and international business community. Major concerns like infrastructure, ease of doing business, traffic, garbage, peace and order must be quickly addressed to make Cebu more attractive and competitive as tourist and investment destination. The business community would certainly welcome more transparency and good governance spearheaded by our new set of leaders,” said Maderazo.

Maderazo said the business community is also expecting clearer direction in the future development of SRP since this would have a significant impact on  local business.

Prudencia Gesta, CCCI immediate past president, said Mayor Rama’s reelection is good for Cebu City as it allows him to finish projects and programs started in his term and to work on long term goals he can’t do in a three-year term.

One of them is a comprehensive master plan for transporation, drainage and other aspects of urban growth.  Initial plans for a third Cebu-Mactan bridge are also being explored.