A livable Cebu and Philippines

As this article was being written yesterday, concerned individuals and groups gathered to listen to Dean Primie Cal of UP and to VM Al Arquillano of San Francisco, Camotes and to discuss their vision of Cebu, what a livable Cebu should and can be, and what they all can do about their vision.

What about you? What is your vision of a livable Cebu? Let us expand that to our vision of a livable Philippines.

In Cebu, this is not the first time this topic has been discussed nor will it be the last. It is interesting, however, to see the contrast in priority and vision of the Cebu residents and the politicians, especially the traditional ones, the so-called trapos.

Livable from the point of view of people includes a sustainable life, one where the basic human needs of food, clothing, shelter, education, work are assured. Livable also allows one to secure life now and in the future and livable allows one to dream and pursue the dream within a lifetime. Livable also includes the right to participate in governance, in honest, participative governance.

Even just a quick glance of Cebu and most places in this country will confirm how “unlivable” this country has become, thanks, no thanks to the politicians whose pork barrel continues to be used for what they see as priority for their constituents.

Poverty is so rampant, only the blind or those who refuse to see, miss seeing them. One would logically think that combating poverty, improving the lives of the millions of poor, including those in Cebu, should be given consistent priority share of the pork barrel funds.

It would be interesting to have a regular report card of anti-poverty achievements and performance of politicians. How much of the pork barrel allocations of politicians went to decrease the number of poor among their constituents or to improve their lives?

It would also be interesting to see how the pork barrel have reduced the floods and improved the drainage system in their area of responsibility. Has the quality of education also improved in their areas- are the schools better quality, are the students also improving in their educational performance, teachers well paid, or at the very least, has a good public library been made available to encourage constituents, especially among the young, to read and to widen their world through reading?

Or let us talk more basic. Is water supply stable and available for all? Are the people assured of healthy and stable supply of food? Are the people living in comfortable shelter?

Or let us talk toilets- for private and public use. Has Cebu moved beyond being the province with the least number of toilets? And please, if public funds will be spent for these, let these be functioning toilets with ample supply of water and proper drainage.

Shall we consider whether our people are assured of clean, healthy air and our children, with enough space to enjoy and run free in public parks or clean, secure public beaches or other natural recreation areas? Can the young and old, males and females, safely walk the streets at any time and be assured of security as well anywhere else in the cities, provinces, and all throughout this country?

Why are the obvious basic needs not responded to consistently, for many decades now, from the past to the present?

Governance has been too long monopolized by those who love infrastructures, by the abusive who love to use public funds for private interests.

 Our people need to retrieve their right to co-govern, the sooner, the better. A livable Cebu, a livable Philippines should find more, if not all our people enjoying a decent human life within a secure, healthy, sustainable environment. Trapos do not share that vision of a livable Cebu or Philippines with the people. Then, the people should hurry to claim the right to be able to make their vision of a livable Cebu and Philippines a reality.

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