Brgy. chiefs to tag along with Rama

CEBU City Mayor Michael Rama will be on a five-day trip to Xiamen in China starting tomorrow, his fourth official trip so far this year.

Instead of bringing department heads and city councilors, Rama opted to bring 15 barangay captains allied with him and City Hall’s middle managers so they can learn from Xiamen’s best practices in governance, he said.

He specifically wants the officials to learn from Xiamen’s solid waste management practices, urban planning and drainage systems.

Rama will also attend the 16th China International Fair for Investment and Trade and the 9th China (Xiamen) International Forum for Mayors of Friendship Cities.

“We should also give the middle managers a chance to travel so they will have the opportunity to learn and be better public servants,” he said.

Rama said Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young will be acting mayor, but his allies in the City Council will help monitor operations in City Hall.

Monitor

When asked why he’s not bringing his councilor-allies, Rama said: “Walay mayor, walay mo-monitor, wala pay mobantay (There’s no mayor, nobody can monitor City Hall).”

Among the mayor’s companions are Barangay Captains Jose Navarro (Punta Princesa), Jerome Lim (Sta. Cruz), Domingo Lopez (Tinago), Ramil Ayuman (Apas), Elvis Narra (Adlaon) and Jinggoy Reformina (Zapatera).

Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor Chief Collen Rosell, Guillermo Diola of the drainage section of the engineering department, Harold Alcontin of the Management Information and Computers Services, Dennis Jabonero of the Office of the Mayor, protocol officer Ryan Echivarre and Noel Artes of the Cebu City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention and Cebu City United Vendors Association president Maria Pino are also joining the trip.