Friday, November 30, 2007 Business, sectoral reps welcome chance to speak up in City’s strategy session By Linette C. Ramos Sun.Star Staff Reporter With intern Caren P. Pagalaran of La Salle University-Ozamiz
TWELVE sectors scored the lack of infrastructure, problems on criminality, corruption, unemployment and environment as hindrances to Cebu City’s further growth and development.
But with the first ever multi-sectoral development strategy planning held yesterday, the sectors are optimistic their concerns can be addressed and will accelerate their sectors’ and the city’s growth.
The business sector, in particular, pushed for better infrastructure and for the City Government to be proactive in addressing their concern if they are to realize their vision of a business environment that is globally competitive.
Ted Locson, vice president of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), specifically asked the City Government to streamline business permit processing to speed up business operations.
They also asked the schools and government to improve the quality of education so more qualified graduates are produced and they can meet the requirements of the industries in the city.
“It’s the Cebu City leadership, headed by the mayor, that will lead the business sector to their direction in the next 10 years,” their representatives said.
The children and youth, academe, faith-based groups, the vulnerable and elderly, housing and environment, upland and coastal residents, workers, health, peace and order, professional and business sectors presented their agenda to city officials yesterday.
Their presentation during the “Cebu City Plus 10” summit was the culmination of the series of consultations held among the sectors. It will serve as basis for the City’s planning and policy making.
During the consultations, the representatives were asked to discuss what they want their sectors to be 10 years from now and to identify the obstacles to what they want their sectors to be.
“At this point, we are trying to establish a government and private sector partnership on the implementation of new programs based on the initiatives that has come out of this,” Mayor Tomas Osmeña told reporters yesterday.
During the presentation, the mayor said the different sectors should not rely on the City Government alone to realize their initiatives. The sectors themselves will have to do as much work, he said.
Osmeña also said he was very happy with the crowd turnout, even if only a few business sector representatives showed up.
Some 800 sectoral representatives gathered at the Cebu City Waterfront Hotel and Casino Atlantic ballroom for the summit yesterday.
Those who work for peace and order called for the expansion of the membership of barangay tanods and tourist-friendly policemen.
They raised the need for modern facilities and equipment and higher incentive allowance from City Hall for members of the police force. The City Government is giving P1,000 monthly allowance for policemen.
In traffic management, education seminars for traffic violators were suggested so the number of violations will be reduced and motorists will be disciplined.
The sector also envisions a litter-free city in 10 years.
Aside from peace and order, the business sector also pushed for more ports, more and better road networks to speed up transport of farm products, a mass transport system to increase the mobility of the people and the development of a clean tourism corridor.
For its part, the housing sector asked the government to cut bureaucratic red tape, which they said is delaying housing projects in the city.
They also scored corruption in government, specifically the “under-the-table” activities when they transact with some agencies for their development projects.
These concerns, they said, hinder them from realizing their vision to put up 10,000 socialized housing units for the urban poor and 500 other mid-end housing units.
The informal sectors and vendors asked for livelihood projects and training and for the passage of the magna carta for vendors at the local level.
To improve the quality of education especially in public schools, the academe sector pushed for measures that will improve the salary and benefits of teachers to keep them in the country.
Dilapidated school buildings should be repaired and city officials should also lobby for improved boarding houses for students in the city, they said.
To monitor each sectors’ progress on the implementation of their agenda, Osmeña said a similar summit will be held annually as follow through to yesterday’s activity.
