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Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Guv doubts mega regions will work as political units
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia will back the decision by the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) to support President Arroyo’s proposal to create mega regions “even without knowing the complete details.”
The governor, however, expressed serious reservations in case Arroyo plans to make these as political units.
If purely administrative in nature, however, Garcia sees the move as an effort to trim bureaucracy as there will be fewer regional offices of National Government agencies.
“A lot of regional directors will be losing their jobs. And to consolidate resources would mean an effective delivery of services by the National Government. I can’t imagine what huge savings this will mean to the National Government,” said Garcia in a press conference yesterday.
“It would mean less people to pay if we let go of all of them, there will be less operational costs,” she added.
The move to integrate national administrative offices on a national scale also runs counter to the idea of splitting Cebu, she added. With this, she said “It’s not only Sugbo-ak that has become irrelevant, those who propose the Sugbo-ak have become irrelevant.”
But like her father, Garcia does not think the idea would work if the goal is to make the mega regions as political units.
“It will run roughshod over culture, histories, political subdivisions and political platforms and programs,” she said.
Earlier, Capitol consultant Pablo Garcia also said the plan will not work if it is meant to make a mega region as one political unit, as it will be hard to implement.
This is because of what he said is an inherent human tendency as a leader to look after his immediate constituents.
Making the provinces as one economic unit run by businessmen, however, will create economic advantages because those managing the region will look at the “best possible and less costly manner of developing,” said Garcia.
But if these economic units will still be subject to the powers of the political units, he is certain that what would be created will “remain just a consultative society.” (JPM)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 20, 2006 issue)
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