Rama pursues big plans for coastal areas

CEBU City Mayor Michael Rama has some lofty dreams for the City's coastline, hence, the increase in the budget for the Coastline Management Board.

From a budget of just P854,906 this year, he proposed a budget of P2 million for 2013.

Rama wants Cebu City's coastline to be visible to all City residents.

This is why he has cleared the structure across the Cebu City Hall executive building and turned it into a Senior Citizen's Park, so that City Hall employees can have a good view of the sea.

The same improvement was done with Plaza Indepencia where trees were transferred so the view of the coastline and the Malacañang sa Sugbo will be unhampered.

“Seeing the sea is much appreciated by many,” said Rama.

Before the year ends, Rama wants to speak with residents of Sitio Bato in Barangay Ermita on how best the area can be improved.

He said order has been restored and cleanliness and beautification are ongoing from Pier 1 up to the Cebu Port Authority area.

The mayor said the coastal area is also visible in Barangays Suba and Pasil.

In Barangays Sawang Calero and Inayawan, the City Government intends to put up a seawall. The three-meter easement of the seawall can be utilized as cemented boardwalk for residents.

In Cogon Pardo, Rama wants to improve the area as a wetland where mangroves will be propagated. Bird-watching can also be done on certain seasons where migratory birds flock in the area.

However, the mayor no longer insisted on putting a budget for a coastal master plan in his proposed annual budget.

In the 2012 proposed budget, Rama sought P10 million each for a master plan for the South Road Properties traffic management, coastline management board, downtown and uptown.

But the Cebu City Council only approved an appropriation of P500,000 each.

The appropriation was left unused this year.

“They must be out of their mind, it was a joke. There was no element of seriousness there,” said Rama of the minimal budget.

The Council intended the budget to be a pre-feasibility study.

But there is no need for a pre-feasibility study.

Rama, though, said his administration is no longer concerned with the budget because of his “strong networking with the private sector.”