Cortes cancels P1.5M inaugural party

CEBU, Philippines - To spend money for indigents instead, as he promises to solve school woes

True to what Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes earlier announced, yesterday’s oathtaking ceremony of the re-elected officials in the city was plain and simple.

Cortes decided to cancel an inauguration party which would have cost P1.5 million for the dinner of about 1,600 guests of the oathtaking ceremony supposedly at the Cebu International Convention Center.

The mayor said that instead of throwing a lavish party, the money will be used to address the drainage problem and to buy medicines for the city’s indigents.

Yesterday’s oathtaking started with a mass at the National Shrine of St. Joseph officiated by Monsignor Adelito Abella. The formal ceremony officially took place at the session hall of the Mandaue City Hall wherein RTC Branch 56 executive Judge Teresita Galanida administered the oath of office of the city officials, in an alphabetical manner for the city councilors, followed next by Vice Mayor Glenn Bercede and lastly, Cortes.

Cortes, during interview with reporters yesterday, said that the construction of more classrooms and infrastructure projects such as road and drainages top his priorities now.

There are about 70 classrooms in the different schools in the city but the city targets to build 250 more classrooms  through its Public-Private Partnership (PPP).

He added that the number of needed classrooms continues to go up, such as the flooding problem at the Cesar M. Cabahug Elementary school in brgy. Looc.

Transferring the school is not the solution, Cortes said, adding that the best thing is to build elevated classrooms and “elevate the existing ones” to address the problem of flooding during high tide.

Cortes explained that seawaters inundate the school because it is located in a low lying area and the sea level has risen. Students experience knee-deep waters during the high tides in June, July and August.

He said that he had already discussed with the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc (RAFI) for the construction of additional classrooms in the school.

The mayor said that the P25 million the city received after getting the Seal of Good Housekeeping award from DILG last year will be used by the city as its counterpart with the private entities to construct more school buildings.

The mayor added that the city will use the P25 million it received after getting the Seal of Good Housekeeping award from DILG last year to construct more schools.

While the school is under rehabilitation, Cortes will talk with DepEd Division Chief Dr. Virginia Zapanta to accommodate students of the said school to the Mandaue City Central School were additional classrooms were already constructed.

The city will provide a school bus to ferry the students to the Central School.

Cortes said another school in Barangay Guizo is also facing the same problem. He said the school was also built in a lot that used to be part of the sea. He said he will work hard to solve these flooding problems in school before his last term ends.

As for the elementary school in Barangay Basak that gets flooded during downpour, Cortes said the Department of Public Works and Highways are working on improving the drainage system in the area.

He said rainwater runoff coming from Cebu City flows toward eleven barangays of Mandaue. JPM (FREEMAN)