AS HE begins his duties as the full-fledged mayor of Cebu City, Raymond Alvin Garcia, sworn in on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, vowed to make healthcare and infrastructure the key priorities of his administration.
Garcia, who officially assumed his new role following a ceremony Wednesday, also said that he would continue some of the projects left by dismissed mayor Michael Rama, including the socialized housing project and the intensive Gubat sa Baha initiative.
His oath was administered by Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) 7 Director Leocadio Trovela. He was joined by his wife Kate, his daughter Lexie, his father, former Cebu City mayor Alvin, and mother Ninette.
Priorities
Garcia, in a press conference at City Hall, said his main focus for the remaining months of Rama’s unfinished term would be the completion of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC), which has been in a “sorry state” for the past 10 years.
He said for the past two to three years, the construction of the city health facility remained stagnant.
Garcia said that if the remaining floors are completed as soon as possible, they will open them for the City Government to add additional services to the hospital.
So far, only the first to third floors and the seventh floor are being used.
On the “93-1 issue,” he said his talks with his aunt, Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, were efficient.
He, however, admitted that there may be hurdles in resolving the decades-long issue, including the requirement for a minimum number of areas and road width, but the new mayor remains positive that the issue will soon be solved.
On the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project, Garcia said he will be coordinating with the Department of Transportation (DOTr), particularly to address the issue of one of its bus stations that is said to block the view of the Capitol.
“I have been very consistent that once it destroys the view of a heritage site such as the Capitol, hoping that the DOTr will, perhaps, redesign or relocate the station. Kahibaw baya ta sa nahitabo sa Luneta nga naay photobomber (We are all aware of what happened in Luneta where there’s a photobomber),” he said, referring to the presence of a building behind Rizal Monument in Ermita, Manila.
He added that the implementation of the CBRT is in the right direction since Cebu City needs a mass transportation system that is efficient and effective that will make one arrive from point A to B.
Aside from implementing his key priorities, Garcia said he will continue some of the programs started by Rama like the construction of medium-rise buildings (MRBs).
He said he is planning to continue the initiative to align with the national project Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino, or the 4PH program, initiated by the current administration.
Garcia also said that it was his father, former mayor Alvin, who started it by constructing the first MRB in Barangay Sambag 1.
He said his father was way ahead of his time 25 years ago, having already thought of MRBs to address public housing in Cebu City.
With the year 2024 almost ending, Garcia said he is eyeing an annual budget of around P18 to P20 billion for 2025.
Garcia said that after a meeting with the department heads last Sept. 30, the proposal is ready for submission to the City Council before Oct. 15 after he signs it.
‘Singapore-like Cebu no more’
Garcia said he will no longer continue the “Singapore-like” vision that was planned by Rama when he was elected as mayor in 2022.
Garcia said that it is something that has to be changed.
“Cebu City is not Singapore, and in fact, we have been longer as a civilization compared to Singapore. That is something that I feel has to be changed,” he said.
“I don’t think we should be named or branded as Singapore because we are Cebu City,” he added.
What Rama envisioned for “Singapore-like Cebu City” was for the city to become a “greener” city, to have MRBs, modern police forces, mass transportation system and access to the internet.
His vision for the city then changed, adding the “Melbourne-features” to the tagline after his trip to Australia last year. Rama even asked for a P50 billion annual budget in 2023 to fund his Singapore-like vision for the city.
Relation with Rama
When asked if he had talked to Rama about his assumption to the office, Garcia said that no communications were made with the dismissed mayor.
“Wa na mi nagkaistorya (We haven’t talked). Although I have been in contact with the councilors who are incumbent, we talked about things here in City Hall,” he said.
Rama was suspended for six months by the Ombudsman in June over complaints of unpaid salaries filed by four City Hall employees.
On Sept. 25, the anti-graft body found probable cause to indict Rama for three counts of violation of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices, for nepotism.
Last Oct. 3, the Ombudsman’s decision to dismiss him from service was released to the public.
On Garcia’s relationship with Acting Vice Mayor Donaldo Hontiveros, Rama’s ally, he said that they had not talked about the relationship between the executive and the legislative branch since they saw no problems at all.
“Parihas man mi og goal (We have the same goals),” said Garcia.
Garcia said that he had invited Hontiveros to his oath-taking ceremony, but the latter replied that he had to talk with his lawyers first. / JPS