People will decide on inclusion of Cabrera, Dizon in BOPK slate

CEBU, Philippines - There is a big chance that Luz barangay captain Nida Cabrera and non-government organization (NGO) leader Alvin Dizon would be included in the slate of the Bando Osmeña Pundok-Kauswagan (BOPK) for councilors in the city’s north district.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he likes Cabrera and Dizon to be included in the BOPK slate, but he still wants to get the sentiments of the people on the matter.

Members of different urban poor groups yesterday trooped to the Cebu City Hall to personally hand over to the mayor a manifesto urging him to consider Cabrera and Dizon to be the ones to fill up the vacancies in the BOPK slate.

Councilors Sylvan Jakosalem, Nestor Archival and Christopher Alix, who are all members of BOPK that was founded by Osmeña, are no longer illegible to seek reelection because their terms of office will already end on June 30, 2010.

Osmeña personally met the hundreds of urban poor members at the Plaza Sugbu located in front of the city’s legislative building because all of them could not be accommodated at the mayor’s office.

The urban poor members described Cabrera as “fit to become a member of the Cebu City Council” because she has already an experience on the job being a member of the Barangay Luz council for three terms before she became a barangay captain.

While she was still a barangay councilwoman, Cabrera successfully implemented the barangay’s garbage segregation and initiated a good garbage recycling program that earned the barangay a presidential award.

Dizon was admired by the urban poor groups for his advocacy in helping the poor while he serves as secretary general of the Center for Participatory Government, which encourages the people to be active in pushing for good governance. — Rene U. Borromeo/WAB