By Marc Cosep
PIO Digital Media Specialist

CEBU CITY (August 5, 2022) — Mayor Mike Rama today admitted he cannot realize by himself his vision for a Singapore-like city he needs everyone’s help to do it.

“I cannot do this alone, I need everyone’s cooperation on this,” he said during the virtual oathtaking for the heads of several special bodies created by the City Government.

Mayor Mike Rama administered a virtual oath taking to the selected staff of the City Government. (Photo: Screen-grabbed from Zoom)

The mayor administered the oathtaking to the selected staff of the City Government along with representatives of various government agencies.

The mayor said he wants to work closely with them to ensure that projects and programs are being executed according to his administration’s thrusts, which centers on an “inclusive, peopled-centered, digitally transformed, and resilient” government.

I cannot do this alone, I need everyone’s cooperation on this.

Mayor Mike Rama

“I am happy that we are here because I know that we are centered on service, as we must focus on the thrust sa atong administration,” Mayor Rama said.

He also told them to refrain from using the term “his administration” and instead use “our administration”.

“This is not my administration, but our administration, we have to put that in mind because we are in this together,” he said.

Among the projects that he wanted to seriously implement is that three-meter easement for rivers and other waterways of the city.

Mayor Mike Rama will strictly implement the three-meter easement rule against houses by the banks of rivers. (PIO/File)

“I am very serious about this plan because our rivers are very ugly. If we have to break structures, we’ll definitely break them,” Mayor Rama said.

Currently, there are at least 2,000 structures occupied by 14,000 individuals along rivers and waterways of the city.

As to the Carbon Public Market modernization project, he said he wants the market to expand up to the Compania Maritima area so that tourists and visitors would have more options.

The Mayor wants to extend the “night market” at Carbon Public Market in ML Quezon street to Compania Maritima so that tourists and vendors will have more food options. (PIO/File)

“The road that we are going through is not an easy path. With your help and with your collaborative effort, I’m sure that the things that can be accomplished in nine years, can be done in three,” the mayor said.

“So, I look forward to the days to come because together we can make greater things happen,” he added. #

Read related story: Department heads share ideas on ‘Singapore-like’ vision for city

A cable car system in the city’s mountain barangays is one of Mayor Mike Rama’s dream for a “Singapore-like” Cebu City.