Saturday, July 6, 2013
TO ADDRESS floods and traffic issues, public and private stakeholders were encouraged to take part in the campaign for a better Cebu, by the Metro Cebu Development and Coordinating Board (MCDCB).
Their vision includes a drainage infrastructure program.
“Flooding in the metropolis is an old problem, which flows with our economic progress.
There is a need to mobilize Cebu as soon as possible to realize the Metro Cebu drainage master plan for sustainable development,” said MCDCB-Research Program and Organizational Development (RPOD) vice chair Dominica Chua.
Chua, who is also the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) chief operating officer, addressed the EKO Conference: Promoting Green Economic Development last June 19 at Radisson Blu Hotel.
She presented “Mega Cebu: A platform for creating a green city-region” and said the urban vision incorporates doable and practical approaches to make sure most stakeholders participate.
The Local Government Code allows local government units (LGUs) and non-government organizations to coordinate with each other for economic and social development, Chua pointed out.
LGUs and private players were urged to collaborate with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on the drainage program.
The MCDCB, for one, has ongoing discussions with DPWH for a comprehensive study and report on the planning and development of the Metro Cebu Integrated Flood and Drainage System, scheduled for execution late next year or early 2015.
Cities evolving into smart mega-cities and city-regions will have more chances to prosper faster than cities that are isolated in their egional spaces, Chua said.
She said this type of urban atmosphere will attract and retain investments, as well as meet associated demands in traffic and waste management.
Chua also emphasized the urgency of public-private cooperation to combat related challenges such inadequate and aging infrastructure; the decline of the social fabric; continued in-migration; complex trans-boundary urban issues; and slow growth, resulting in Metro Cebu lagging behind other cities worldwide.
The MCDCB was founded in 2011 as a public-private partnership that involves LGUs, national government agencies, business players and civil society groups. It is also works in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency Study Team for the Mega Cebu project.
The group’s working definition of Metro Cebu stretches from Cebu City to Carcar, San Fernando, Naga, Minglanilla, Talisay, Lapu-Lapu, Cordova, Mandaue, Consolacion, Liloan, Compostela and Danao.
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