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Monday, July 17, 2006
Amante: The Asean effect
By Isolde D. Amante
Peryodistang Pinay
THE year before a local election, motorists and their street-weary tires usually get a break, when politicians rush to patch every pothole in sight. This year, preparations for the Asean Summit in December will give motorists and other taxpayers the same break, plus a bonus: less politics. At least, less local politics.
If there’s no sign of the early mudslinging that marked previous pre-election years, it’s partly because Cebu’s incumbents are too caught up with summit preparations. And they should be, because hosting the summit in December will test their skills, more as executives than as politicians.
First, hosting the summit is a test of will. Officials in the cities of Mandaue and Cebu have had to confront the problem of illegal settlements in the ports, near the Mandaue-Mactan bridge and along the roads leading to the summit venues.
It’s an old puzzle, but one that local officials—having limited funds and a distaste for making unpopular decisions—have yet to crack. What’s needed are solutions that uphold both public and private property rights, yet treat illegal settlers in a humane manner. Can our local officials deliver?
Second, it is a test of self-reliance. Of the local hosts, only the Cebu Provincial Government has not asked the National Government for funds, according to Ambassador Marciano Paynor Jr. The Province will foot the bill, now hovering around P375 million, for the Cebu International Convention Center.
In contrast, the Mandaue City Government has asked for no less than P372 million for road improvements, streetlights and beautification projects, including P5.2 million from the public works department to put up welcome signs and P30 million for a housing resettlement project. Summit or no summit, aren’t these local concerns? One challenge for all local governments involved will be to behave more like hosts, and less like parasites.
Third, the summit preparations are a test of cooperation. Without much fanfare, utility companies are cleaning up their “spaghetti wires” along the roads leading to the summit venues. Plans are underway to train tour guides, taxi drivers and volunteers, so they can provide service that’s prompt, honest and reliable. Local officials who’ve been bickering about the four-day holiday, if not the summit preparations budget, have no choice but to work together.
Fourth, and most importantly, it is a test of confidence. Hosting the summit signals Cebu’s (if not the individual Cebuano’s) willingness to compete on an international stage, despite scarce resources, persistent economic and political challenges, and disenchantment with all affairs of state. This may prove to be the most critical test of all.
(http://www.peryodistang-pinay.blogspot.com)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (July 17, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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