28th Cebu City Mayor: Rama sworn in, bares priorities

CEBU, Philippines - Road asphalting, street lighting, drainage, garbage, health and peace and order are among the priorities set by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama as he took his oath yesterday morning before senior associate justice Portia Aliño Hermachuelos of the Court of Appeals.

Rama, who assumed as the 28th mayor of Cebu City, said he will address the problems in the areas he identified as priorities within his first 100 days in office.

“Within one hundred days of my mayorship, we, the five thousand employees of city hall and the people of Cebu City, together we will institute actions towards addressing the issue on asphalting, street lighting, drainage, garbage, health and peace and order,” Rama said.

According to Rama, he already started some of these when he was still the vice mayor.

“Now that I am already the mayor, I will be more aggressive about it,” Rama said.

Rama said he has talked in advance to all the department heads whom he has given three months to prove themselves that they are worthy to keep.

Rama’s predecessor, Congressman Tomas Osmeña, commended the new mayor for his plan for the city.

“I think that is a good focus because during the early part I thought he was having an edifice complex. You know, spending P90 million on Plaza Independencia, spend so much money to develop the library, it makes nervous. But the asphalt storm, drainage, that’s good,” Osmeña said.

“So I consider that a shift, so that’s why I’m commenting on it because I would like to encourage him,” he added.

But, Rama said the rehabilitation of the Plaza Independencia and the improvement of the city library are still part of his plans but not in the priority list.

“That’s still part, building has to be beautified, otherwise, we cannot give beauty if you’re ugly inside,” Rama said.

Osmeña hopes that the new mayor will be able to deliver his promises within the time frame he promised his constituents.

“Anyway that’s his style, that’s western culture, perception, everything is time bound. I’m not like that. I always think of do your homework now and then do the next step. Do not go to the next step until you finish the first one. So that’s always been my philosophy which I call the oriental approach which is process,” Osmeña said.

Osmeña earlier promised not to comment too much on Rama and will not meddle with the affairs of the City Hall.

Rama and Osmeña took their oath together with Vice Mayor Joy Augustos Young and the 16 councilors who are all members of the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan.

North district Rep. Rachel Marguerite “Cutie” del Mar chose to take her oath before her father, Deputy Speaker Raul del Mar.

The stage appeared small when Rama took his oath because all the members of the Rama clan from the other parts of the country and even abroad went home to join him on stage.

Even Rama’s ex-wife Araceli Francisco attended the momentous event. The oathtaking ceremony started with a mass at 8:00 am followed by the flag raising ceremony attended by all elected officials.

The consuls of Japan, China and Spain also came to witness the event.(FREEMAN NEWS)