Wednesday, June 04, 2008 Nalzaro: Not second to none By Bobby Nalzaro Saksi
WE thought Cebu City is second to none. But recently, it landed 20th in the list of most livable city in the country, according to a survey of the financial magazine, Moneysense.
The same is true with the study conducted by the Asian Institute of Management in partnership with the Canadian and Australian Governments, IFC-World Bank and the Department of Trade and Industry. Cebu City is behind its neighbors in the list of top 21 cities in the country in the aspect of the cost of starting business. Do you know the city that topped it? Lapu-Lapu.
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña must have reacted vehemently to the study like what he did to the survey on the most livable city. He had said that those who conducted the survey were not residents here and didn’t know what is happening in the city.
But you don't have to be a resident of the city to know what's happening here. While those who conducted the survey were outsiders, the respondents were Cebuanos. Cebu City was in fourth place and Mandaue City is in sixth place in the list of areas “easy to start a business” in.
Maybe some people, especially critics of Mayor Arturo Radaza, won't believe the study. But the result was based on a competent and credible survey by a reputable research group. However, the identities of the respondents are not known.
Documents I received showed that there were aspects in the survey, like starting a business, dealing with licenses and registering of properties, wherein Lapu-Lapu prominently figured. Note that the Philippine Export Zone Authority was not given prominence as the survey was about local government initiative. So the high rating must have been because of Radaza’s leadership.
We cannot deny that Mactan island is an ideal place for investments especially for hotels and resorts. I went there last week during GMA 7’s family outing and I observed business establishments being constructed even in the outskirts.
I think, though, that the Maximo Patahinghug Ave. (starting at the foot of the first Mactan-Mandue bridge leading to Marigondon) should be fixed immediately. The road is very bad and, if left unattended, could discourage investors and tourists.
While Radaza’s administration is being hounded by controversies like graft and corruption, we cannot also deny that the city is booming economically. And I think more investors will go there if they are given fair treatment by whoever is running the affairs of the City Government.
