RIDING high on the victory of his entire slate in the recently held elections, reelected Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan has announced that fixing of the city’s faulty drainage system, completion of the city hospital and addressing traffic congestion through a big-ticket project will be among his priorities during his first 100 days in office.
Chan and the rest of the candidates of Team Ahong-Team Libre won decisively in the May 9, 2022 elections, completely shutting out their opponents from Team Deretso led by Rep. Paz Radaza, who had challenged Chan for the mayorship.
Vice Mayor Celedonio “Celsi” Sitoy was reelected, First Lady Ma. Cynthia “Cindi” King-Chan was elected Lapu-Lapu City Lone District representative, and Team Ahong-Team Libre took all the 12 seats in the City Council, removing what Chan said had been a roadblock in getting his projects approved and implemented during his first three-year term.
In a press conference last Wednesday, he said he would immediately address the problem of drainage projects with no outfall which, he said, characterized the projects of outgoing Representative Radaza.
“Naghimo ‘ta og (We made a) drainage, but the problem walay kagawasan (is there is no outlet for it), so magbalik-balik lang gihapon (so the sewage will just keep coming back),” the mayor said.
Chan said with the help of his wife, incoming representative King-Chan, he would also work on getting a sewage treatment plant for the sewage collected in the outfalls.
He said the new congresswoman would review the city’s drainage network.
Second, to solve traffic, he said the skyway he had proposed earlier would immediately be implemented.
Last year, Chan proposed a P24.81 billion skyway, the first outside Metro Manila, which would cut travel time from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Lapu-Lapu City to the South Road Properties in Cebu City to just seven minutes.
However, members of the Lapu-Lapu City Council’s opposition bloc thumbed down the proposed joint venture agreement for the Lapu-Lapu Expressway (LLEX) last Dec. 14, despite the willingness of the project proponents to revise some provisions in the agreement raised by the council, including the 50-year exemption from business, community and real property taxes.
The project is a Public-Private Partnership initiated by construction firms Premium Megastructures Inc., Ulticon Builders Inc. and MTD Philippines.
Chan had touted the 12-kilometer skyway as a solution to the traffic congestion problems once the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) opened.
CCLEX, colloquially referred to as the Third Bridge connecting the Cebu mainland to Mactan Island, opened last April 27.
Chan said Wednesday the skyway’s elevated and ground roads would connect the third bridge to the airport.
With the skyway envisioned to have exit ramps going to Lapu-Lapu barangays as well as to adjacent Cordova town, motorists coming from mainland Cebu would no longer need to pass Lapu-Lapu’s main streets to get home to their barangays.
“Maka-assure na jud ang mga Oponganons, nga all projects na para sa kaayuhan sa atong syudad madeliver na jud nato because ang tanan konsehales puros na kaabag ni Mayor Chan, parehas panlantaw ni Mayor Chan, ang tuyo ug tumong para gyud sa kaayuhan ug kalambuan sa pinalanggang dakbayan,” he said.
(The Oponganons can be assured that all projects for the benefit of our city can now be delivered because all councilors are now partners of Mayor Chan, with the same vision as Mayor Chan, whose goal is the welfare and development of the beloved city.)
Third and fourth, Mayor Chan also voiced plans to continue upgrading the new Lapu-Lapu City Hospital in Sitio Carajay in Barangay Gun-ob, and to speed up the completion of the socialized housing project in Barangay Canjulao intended for 3,000 families.
The housing project will occupy 25 hectares of reclaimed land and be developed by Premium Megastructures Inc., Chan said during his State of the City Address last July.
The socialized housing project is part of a P3 billion mixed use development that will rise on a 203-hectare foreshore area that will be reclaimed in Barangays Canjulao and Punta Engaño.
Chan signed the joint venture agreement for the reclamation project with Mactan Blue Waters Development Consortium on Aug. 7, 2020.
A fifth priority is the repair of government facilities, schools and the gymnasium damaged by Typhoon Odette (Rai) last Dec. 16.
Finally, Chan said he would also spend his first 100 days revitalizing tourism, including the rehabilitation of 25 diving spots.
With the city host to the international airport and islets, tourism is its “bread and butter” industry.
Olango island would be developed into an eco-tourism site, the mayor said.
“Ipa-nindot nato nga maila tibuok kalibutan, nga ang Lapu-Lapu City maoy pinaka nindot nga suroyanan sa mga turista,” he said. (We will make it so nice that Lapu-Lapu will be known the world over as the nicest destination for tourists.)
Olango was heavily damaged by Typhoon Odette, and Mactan Electric Company has yet to fully reenergize the island five months after Odette’s powerful winds toppled hundreds of electric posts there.
The members of the House of Representatives and all provincial, city and municipal officials elected in the May 9 elections will start their terms of office at noon of June 30, 2022. They will serve for a term of three years.