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Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Creating MCDA
By Antonio V. Osmeña
Estatements
Rep. Raul del Mar should pursue the creation of a Metro Cebu Development Autho-rity considering how difficult, complex and costly it is to solve or mitigate the problems facing the metropolis.
Our country’s uncontrolled population growth and diminishing job opportunities in rural areas force people to migrate from the countryside into urban areas. Because of this, there is a rapidly growing number of migrants to urban areas.
The city becomes a poverty trap, not an oasis of economic opportunity and cultural diversity. Metro Cebu has become a settlement of migrants. The problem with these migrants is they settle illegally in vacant lots of absentee landowners and soon become street vendors to survive.
Notice that the banks of Metro Cebu’s rivers and creeks are occupied with illegal settlers. During the administration of then Mayor Florentino Solon the vendors were purposely settled on the streets of P. Gullas and Zamora without due consideration for the rights of property owners.
Today the vendors are still using the two streets since our local government officials do not have the political will to remove them.
The City Attorney’s Office continues to be remiss in its obligation to remind the city mayor that the streets and sidewalks are beyond the commerce of man.
The creation of the Metro Cebu Development Authority (MCDA) is the solution to the lack of political will of elected officials in implementing laws. They are concerned how strict enforcement of laws would affect their chances of re-election.
If the head of the MCDA is appointed with a fix term, he is not beholden to any group and can implement without fear of unfavorable public sentiment. Thus, he will not hesitate to implement measures to solve problems related to overcrowding, traffic snarls, increasing fare, inefficient public transport systems, illegal use of streets and sidewalks, and lack of parking spaces.
The silent majority is concerned about the obsolete public transport systems in Metro Cebu. The MCDA, as legislated, should be able to introduce a synchronized mass transit system to cover the north and south end of Metro Cebu, including the island of Mactan.
Transportation systems and options within and between urban areas are major factors in determining the spatial pattern, degree of sprawl and the rate of economic growth of an urban area.
People in urban areas move from one place to another. But unfortunately, since the creation of Metro Cebu, transportation systems have become a hodgepodge. There is no way for commuters to travel from the north to the south of Metro Cebu with convenience.
It was a wrong decision to dismantle the railway system sometime in the late 1940s. People from Carcar used the train to transport their goods to the city of Cebu. Perhaps reviving the railway system covering the entire island of Cebu might be a good idea for Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia to consider.
By 2020, urbanization of Cebu’s coastal towns would have reached its maximum. By then, 80 percent of Cebu‘s population will be living in urban areas.
Cebu’s political leaders, instead of breaking Cebu into smaller provinces, should legislate a development authority that would accelerate infrastructure development without political meddling. Coping with urban problems in Metro Cebu and, in time, the whole island would need the strong political will of politicians.
Breaking up Cebu into smaller provinces will make it more difficult to synchronize economic growth. Why can’t our politicians learn to be a statesman? Cebu’s urban growth is eminent and now is the time to plan and implement a comprehensive master plan.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (August 23, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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