A great first year report from Rep. Cutie

There is no doubt that amongst all the members of Congress in Cebu, Rep. Rachel “Cutie” Del Mar is emerging to be very successful in bringing infrastructure development into the City of Cebu. Could it be because she is a woman? No doubt, my good friend, her father, former Rep. Raul Del Mar is giving her a hundred and one percent support, tutoring her in what our constituents need, especially in these times when infra funds are difficult to come by because of budget cuts from the national government.

 Rep. Del Mar sent me a list of her projects. First is to complete the yet unfinished portion along the Foodland intersection after her Dad installed the flyover. This is the P150 million road widening and concreting of Gov. Manuel Cuenco Ave. from the Mahiga Bridge to the corner of Cabangcalan or Quezon Ave., which no doubt will ease the traffic congestion in the area.

 This project is broken into two sections, P100 million for road right-of-way and P50 million for drainage system, curbs, gutters and sidewalks. Truth to tell, my only objection about this project is the reality that is happening to us today, which we wrote exactly a week ago, where the government pays for the expropriation of the roadside to widen the road, but when the project is finished, the people that the government paid up still park on the road with impunity because our traffic mangers cannot seem to enforce our laws.

 Another vital project that Rep. Cutie Del Mar addressed is improving the drainage system along Colon and Junquera St. with a P7.960 million funding. I just hope that some of this money would be used to desilt the estero that runs in between Colon St. and V. Gullas (formerly Manalili St.). What good would giving a better drainage do when the estero or your main drainage has become too shallow. I already impressed this issue upon Mayor Michael Rama who told me that under his watch, they would deepen the estero.

 Actually Mayor Mike can help the poorest of the poor in this project by hiring those “estambays” who are doing nothing but sit around all day. Give them a shovel and close portions (have a by pass section) of the estero so it can be deepened. That’s one way of fixing the problem. Incidentally in the last big rain the other day, floodwaters were already on the ground floor at the Gaisano Main.

 Rep. Del Mar’s two flyovers are the most important infrastructure to be done in Cebu City under the Aquino Administration, although these plans were already put in place long before Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo even became President. I’m referring to the flyovers at the intersection of M. J. Cuenco Ave. and Gen. Maxilom Ave., which, if my memory serves me right, we requested more than 10 years ago. This project costs P150 million for the flyover and P50 million for the road right-of-way and widening of the street.

 Another project that was there a long time ago was the flyover along Gorordo Ave. This project was supposed to be at the intersection of Inmaculada Concepcion, but when the Sacred Heart School for Boys was transferred to the Canduman Campus, the traffic in that corner dissipated. Hence, this flyover was moved 800 yards to the north along the Borromeo Caltex Station or across the Asilo de Milagrosa Church at the corner of Arch. Reyes Ave. It will connect to the back of the USC Boy’s High School and eventually link up to a future tunnel under Gen. Maxilom Ave. beside the Iglesia ni Kristo compound. It will certainly make the Redemptorist Church closer to the north.

 All told, these infrastructure projects under Rep. Cutie Del Mar brings to the North District of Cebu City a total of P1.182 billion, which includes P378 million regular infrastructure for DPWH and P46 million Priority Assistance Development Funds (PDAF) for the 46 barangays in the North District of Cebu City. What I would like to know is what are the other congressmen doing in their respective districts? Or how much infra funds are they contributing in the district for their infrastructure needs?

 Rep. Cutie Del Mar maybe a political neophyte but in my book, her first year track record is phenomenal and I doubt if anyone including Rep. Tomas Osmeña can beat this infra record in their one-year stint in Congress. As we pointed out earlier, no doubt she is being tutored by her father former Rep. Raul and she is a fast learner. Kudos to Rep. Cutie for this well-received infra report.

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 Sec. Albert Lim is on his way out as Tourism Secretary, but it seems that he is making public appearances in talkshows explaining why he resigned. However, a report from The Philippine Star pointed to Lim saying that the President delayed action on a complaint against Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Authority (TIEZA) Head Mark Lapid because of “political” considerations. Isn’t this fellow accusing Pres. Benigno “PNoy” Aquino, III of some kind of “collusion” with the TIEZA Chief? Abangan!

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