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Friday, June 30, 2006
Talk back: Mayor Ouano’s ‘lapses’
By Antero K. Cana Jr.
This is a reaction to the Speak Out article entitled “Tryin’ hard Teddy” (Sun.Star Cebu, June 20) that criticized some perceived lapses in governance of Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Z. Ouano.
The writer noted, among others, Ouano's supposed failure to remove "the stigma of Mandaue as 'shabu city,' or rejuvenate due to unabated pollution and neglect, or to prevent severe flooding in some areas of the city after a heavy downpour."
Also mentioned was Ouano's public pronouncement about the presence of 80 terrorists in Cebu with him as one of the target personalities.
Focusing only on the shortcomings of government officials (not only Ouano) is unfair.
Ouano's vision
I know Mayor Ouano---having been one of his employees before---and his vision of governance.
He has his failures and his critics and political enemies are quick to pounce upon them.
But if his accusers and political detractors feel that the mayor failed to do his homework, can we judge him without considering the other side of his governance?
Mandaue is now the industrial capital of Central Visayas, and the economic growth can be attributed to past and present city leaders, including the mayor’s father, the famous "Ingko Pedong."
Mayor Ouano's continuation of the projects of his father and his innovations, as seen in the south reclamation project and the construction of the world-class Cebu International Convention Center, not only benefits Mandauehanons but also the Cebuanos and the country.
The city's urban poor is housed in several social housing units and soon in a medium-rise condominium. The mayor has pressured national government line agencies to speed up the release of the money for the condo.
Mandauehanons know that Ouano is not a "sleepy mayor" and his fight against all forms of criminality has resulted in the city having the least number of crimes committed, according to police records.
Not laxity
On the other hand, Ouano's slow implementation of environment-related laws, especially the rehabilitation of Butuanon river, is not a result of mere laxity or neglect.
Residential structures and industrial buildings encroaching on government-owned riverbanks have to be evicted and that entails time and court battles.
Ouano’s governance follows due process of law, thus he does not make hasty decisions, like cleaning the river at the expense of those who will be either evicted or punished for violating the law.
Besides, solving the Butuanon river problem is not only the local government's concern but also that of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Blaming only Ouano will thus appear as malicious or meant only to destroy his reputation.
Collective effort
Let me call on all sensible Manduehanons to unite and come up with collective efforts to promote the interest of the city residents rather than focus on the minor lapses of the city’s leaders.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 30, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
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