IT is worth noting how much or how little Cebu figured in a presidential address to the nation.
In his address Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte mentioned some projects for Mindanao and some road development in other provinces, including in Metro Cebu, but did not cite details. He said he is giving orders to local officials to work on decongesting their roads, like removing obstructions.
He probably had items on provinces in his prepared speech but he almost totally discarded it as he went ad lib for the most part.
In 2016, in his first address to the nation, Duterte mentioned Cebu when he announced the Cebu rail project. That project is moving forward with investors reportedly assuring that Line 1 of the Cebu Light Rail Transit (LRT) will not cost the local governments of Metro Cebu. Based on Japan International Cooperation studies, Line 1 will traverse the Cebu Central Transport Axis with an estimated length of 21 kms, reports said.
Earlier reports said it will start from Talisay City, pass Cebu City and Mandaue City, and end in Consolacion. The LRT will complement the bus rapid transit system that will cater to commuters from the south to the northwest and has 33 intra-city stations.
Also, in his 2016 address, Duterte spoke of solving transportation problems by buying more trains and pursuing inter-island connection. “We will accelerate infrastructure spending by improving national roads and bridges and implementing the Mindanao Logistics Infrastructure Network and other road network master plans. We shall pursue inter-island linkage projects,” he said.
The other time Duterte mentioned a part of the Visayas in his 2016 address was on the Panay rail project.
Duterte mentioned his many other plans ranging from the lowering of personal and corporate income taxes to continuing the fight against criminality, all for the benefit of Filipinos. But it is worth noting how much or how little of Cebu or the Visayas figures in his plans.
Duterte will have four more addresses to the nation until the end of his term. I hope he gets to talk about Cebu or the Visayas more.
u2022••
There are news ways to catch the President’s speech to the nation than, say, five years ago.
There are more Filipinos connected to the Internet, more people who can access online information from their mobile devices. Such technology advances make getting information about government or presidential address smoother.
What is different now compared to the time of past presidents is there are more ways to know about the state of the nation from live feeds, live reports, social media posts and online databases. Private individuals and media organizations aired Duterte’s speech live, allowing thousands to watch it in real-time.
Other information available online include transcripts of past speeches, technical reports, a photo gallery and trivia.
The challenge is no longer about accessing information on the nation’s state of affairs but about what the government has achieved and what the President is saying in his annual speech.