Rama: I, too, back heritage protection

CEBU, Philippines — It is not Cebu officials fighting for heritage preservation and him being against it because he, too, is an advocate and is one with them in their concern for the Capitol building as a heritage structure.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama made this clear yesterday amid Cebu officials expressing support for Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia, following the administrative complaint he filed against her at the Office of the President this month for alleged abuse of authority, grave misconduct, improper conduct, and unprofessional conduct for a public official.

“Atong klarohon para masabtan pag-ayo sa mga silingan nato nga mga politiko. Kita mga taga Cebu City naghatag ug dakong pagpakabana na ipreserbar ang mga heritage site sa Sugbo. Dakong garbo na nato ug dili na nato pasagdan aron ang sumusunod nga henerasyon naay ipadayon,” he said, in a statement posted over the City’s Public Information Office page.

The mayor filed the complaint Garcia ordered the stoppage of civil works of the national project Cebu Bus Rapid Transit along a portion of Osmeña Blvd. in front of the Capitol to the Fuente Osmeña Rotunda, through her Memorandum 16-2024.

She targeted the bus station being constructed as blocking the vista of the Capitol.

Rama said he actually was likewise concerned over the preservation of heritage structures, which was the very reason why a BRT is being constructed and not any other means of mass rapid transit.

“Kini maoy hinungdan nga gitugotan nato ug gi-suportahan ang Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) kay dili kini makadaot sa atong mga heritage buildings” he said.

Mayor Rama clarified that the complaint he filed against the governor is for “meddling and influencing others” to stop the CBRT.

“Uyon ta na atong protektahan ang Kapitolyo, walay lalis diha…Ang isyu kay ang pag-apil-apil sa Gobernadora nga mosugo siya na ipaundang ang CBRT. Wala siyay katungod. Mao kini ang rason nganong atong gipaabot kang Presidente Marcos ang isyu,” he said.

The mayor also said that the Department of Transportation and project financiers World Bank and French Development Agency have already met to discuss the concern over the bust station at the Capitol area.

“Ang concern sa atong mga kauban na matabonan ang kanindot sa Kapitolyo… Ako ni nadunggan ug gipangitaan og paagi,” he said.

“Mao nang sa panagtigum sa mga financing agencies (World Bank ug Agence Française de Développement) ug ang mga kadagkuan sa DOTR didto sa Manila, akong gi ingon nila na ato gyud ni areglaron kay naa gyuy concern didto sa station duol sa sa Kapitolyo,” he added.

Rama said the CBRT is expected to provide everyone a comfortable, and safe transportation that is why it should be supported.

“Atong gipaningkamotan nga an tanan matagaan ug luag, komportable, ug luwas nga transportasyon pinaagi sa CBRT. Atong gihatagan pagtagad ang katawhan, unahon ta ang pag-alagad kanila, ug mag tinabangay ta alang sa pagkab-ot sa kalamboan sa Sugbo,” he said.

He hoped that everyone would be part of the solution to the problem on mass transportation and not something else.

“Kini atong i-ampo, inubanan sa pangaliya sa Balaang Bata, ang atong Sr. Sto. Niño, ug mga pag ampo sa mga Santos apil si San Pedro Calungsod, nga mahimo kitang solusyon alang sa Sugbo,” he said. — (FREEMAN)