Saturday, October 08, 2005
RDC enlarges Metro Cebu
Development planners expanded the definition of Metro Cebu to include the towns of San Fernando and Carcar in the south and Danao City in the north.
This way, the Regional Development Council (RDC) 7 hopes to improve the local governments’ capability to address traffic congestion, solid waste management and threats to peace and order.
“We can come together and discuss projects. These projects can be realistically planned and implemented with the active cooperation of all the local government units (LGUs),” said Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia during the RDC full council meeting yesterday.
The RDC 7 designated Garcia as the chairperson of the Metro Cebu Development Council (MCDC).
The MCDC defines the coverage of Metro Cebu for planning purposes only.
There is no legal basis for the creation of Metro Cebu, an RDC 7 resolution stated.
But it also said that member-LGUs of the MCDC believe the commercial and industrial area of Cebu Province has already expanded to the towns of San Fernando and Carcar and to Danao City.
Revival
Originally, Metro Cebu was made up of the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and Talisay and the towns of Compostela, Liloan, Consolacion, Cordova, Minglanilla and Naga.
Garcia, in an interview, said the inclusion of the three additional local governments is to “recognize the reality” that the areas need to be part of the metro’s development.
Garcia convened the MCDC last August to revive the body, which was never fully operational since it was created in 1998.
She said she aims to address metro-wide problems and concerns, including a mass transit system.
The MCDC, in its meeting last August, decided to expand the council’s composition by including other LGUs and agencies.
However, the MCDC is yet to identify the additional members during the next meeting.
The RDC 7 sets the direction of all development efforts in Central Visayas.
It also serves as a forum where local efforts can be taken up and integrated with national development activities.
Local code
Under Section 33 of the Local Government Code, local governments may agree to pool funds, real estate, equipment and personnel to work together on “purposes commonly beneficial to them.”
All they need to do is sign a memorandum of understanding, so they can work on shared needs, such as mass transportation.
A mass transit system is one of the priority programs in the Regional Development Plan for 2005-2010.
When the plan to include Danao, Carcar and San Fernando was raised last year, an official of the National Economic Development Authority had said an “expanded” Metro Cebu would make a mass transit plan more feasible. (CYR )
(October 8, 2005 issue)
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