TWO Cebu City legislators are expecting President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to talk about pandemic recovery and economic improvement plan in his first State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday, July 25, 2022.
Cebu City South District Rep. Eduardo “Edu” Rama told SunStar Cebu Sunday, July 24, that he wanted to hear the plans of the president on how to bring back and improve the economy of the country amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
He is also expecting Marcos Jr. to lay out his plan for the country’s education sector, especially since face-to-face classes have been halted for quite some time.
For her part, North District Rep. Rachel “Cutie” del Mar said the fulfillment of the president’s plans is the success of the entire country and that “all Cebuanos are one in hoping” that Marcos Jr. will deliver on his promises.
Mandaue City Lone District Rep. Emmarie “Lolypop” Ouano-Dizon wants to hear the president talk about the country’s pressing problems, such as the increasing prices of fuel and rice, and state the solutions for these problems.
Aside from securing public health, she also wants to hear Marcos Jr. talk about involving Congress in the realization of his agendas, specifically the continuation of the “Build, Build, Build” program of the Duterte administration and tourism resurgence.
Both Rama and del Mar said Marcos Jr. should give priority to programs and projects for farmers, considering that the president is also serving as the agriculture secretary.
“We need his protection for our farmers who live hand to mouth,” said del Mar.
Del Mar is also wanting the president to talk about infrastructure projects, especially those that can improve the traffic situation in Cebu City.
“We need an infusion of public works to solve the traffic. We need a modern mass transit system to make travel time easier,” del Mar said.
The two representatives are also hopeful that the president will be supportive of their proposed bills in Congress’ lower house.
Rama said he is prioritizing the passing of the bill that would create the Mega Cebu Development Authority (MCDA) which aims to improve cooperation among different local government units that surround Cebu City.
The creation of the MCDA is also one of del Mar’s priority bills, which was conceptualized by his father, the late North District representative Raul del Mar.
Rama and del Mar are also pushing for the creation of additional legislative districts in Cebu City.