Tomas blames Rama for City Council’s loss

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City South District Rep. Tomas Osmeña blamed Mayor Michael Rama for the Cebu City Council’s failure to win this year’s search for Outstanding Sangguniang Panglungsod by the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

But it was another person who took the blame.

The Cebu City Council lost to its counterpart in Zamboanga City allegedly because it does not have a comprehensive land use plan.

Osmeña said Rama failed to initiate moves to prepare for a Comprehensive Land Use Plan. But the City Planning and Development Office chief admitted it was their office’s lapse in failing to produce a CLUP.

“Yes, it’s my fault. I take full responsibility for it. We initially targeted to complete it one year after I assumed into office. But we did not make it,” Engr. Alipio Bacalso Jr. said.

Bacalso started serving as city planning and development chief in May 2011.

The medium-term CLUP, valid for the next five years, is essential for zoning legislation and is supposedly the basis for any development in the city, Bacalso said.

“CLUP basically covers all sectors. These are meticulously discussed in detail,” he added.

The plan was one of the major reasons that the city did not bag this year’s National Legislative Award, Vice Mayor Joy Young earlier said.

Young said the deadline of submission of the CLUP to the DILG in time for this year’s awards was in 2012.

Despite the efforts of CPDO to finish the program, the number of personnel assigned is not enough, Bacalso said.

“Currently, we have four staff members finishing the plan. We need more so that we can finish it soonest, one for each major sector,” he said.

Particular sectors that need additional personnel include economy, social, infrastructure, and environment, Bacalso added.

Osmeña said the CLUP should not be made like a Bible that cannot be changed.

He cited the case when the area at the North Reclamation Area where SM City now stands was already divided by roads, SM owner Henry Sy still decided to buy the lot including the roads and convert them to a huge commercial area.

Osmeña also said even if the DILG chose Zamboanga City, in reality Cebu City is more booming and several investors are coming to the city to invest.

Executive Order 72 issued by former president Fidel Ramos provides that the city or municipal development council shall initiate the formulation or updating of its land use plan, in consultation of the concerned sectors in the community.

The city planning and development officer or the city agriculturist shall provide the technical support services and other assistance as maybe required to effectively carry out the job.

The CLUP is then submitted to the City Council for enactment into a zoning ordinance.   (FREEMAN)