P2.5M sought for “green growth” study

CEBU, Philippines - The City Council has asked the executive department to include P2.5 million in the budget for 2016 to fund a study for a project that would explore ways of fostering “green growth” in the city.

This after the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) chose Cebu as one of five city-regions in Asia for the implementation of Urban Green Growth for the Dynamic Asia Project.

The other four city-regions covered by the project are Bangkok (Thailand), Johor Bahru or Iskandar (Malaysia), Ban-dung (Indonesia) and Hai Phong (Vietnam).

“The project study period is set on 2015 to 2016 and is collaboration between Cebu and the OECD, there is a need to share the responsibilities for the project,” reads the resolution penned by City Councilor Nestor Archival.

The project includes examination of the city’s policies in the promotion of greening and competitiveness in a fast-growing economy, improvement of environmental performance of the city and its urban quality of life; and the increase of the institutional capacity to achieve green growth.

“The said project study would need a counterpart monetary contribution of 50,000 Euros or roughly P2.5 million (representing only 25 percent of the total study cost) to facilitate Cebu’s inclusion in the study,” Archival said.

The major fund requirement will be covered by the OECD and the German Government.

Archival has attached a July 14 letter of the Metro Cebu Development and Coordinating Board addressed to Mayor Michael Rama, which asked that a letter be penned on the matter.

In its letter, MCDCB said OECD is an international economic organization of 34 high income countries founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade.

“The OECD study is very timely as we have just completed the JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency)-supported Roadmap study for Sustainable Urban Development of Metro Cebu serving as a broad guide for Metro Cebu’s development in the near and long term,” the MCDCB officials said.

The Roadmap study for Metro Cebu includes sub-roadmaps on metropolitan competitiveness, urban structure and land use, urban transport and highway network, water supply, storm water, and wastewater management, solid waste management, smart South Road Properties, and metropolitan governance.

MCDCB said the preparations for the Operationalization of the Mega Cebu Spatian Plan, which is one of the anchor programs included in the roadmap study, can be initiated and facilitated by representing it as the focus area for the OECD study.

“This OECD project will study and develop this (Roadmap study) further, from a policy perspective, so as to prevent sprawl, promote urban greening and transit-oriented development, and thereby facilitate investments,” the letter reads.

Considering that the grant will expire next month, the city government may have to decide on whether or not it will participate in the study otherwise OECD will choose another city to invite.  (FREEMAN)