More than Singapore-like Cebu City, an added innovation to people’s aspirations
By Caecent No-ot Magsumbol & Iris Hazel Mascardo
Reprint from The Freeman with edition
CEBU CITY (Dec. 20. 2023) — Singapore-like Cebu City? Add “Melbourne features.”
Mayor Mike Rama met with City Hall department heads, barangay captains, and officials of different government agencies to introduce them an innovation in the people’s aspirations of a Singapore-like city that is now incorporated with aspects of Melbourne.
The mayor was fresh from his vacation in Australia, where he went to on Nov. 1, returning only last Dec. 16.
Wikipedia described Melbourne as “the coastal capital of the southeastern Australian state of Victoria”, while the website “visitmelbourne.com” called it as the place to be for the “latest culture, food, sports and entertainment”.
Yesterday afternoon, Rama’s son Mikel presented the key features of Melbourne that he and his father felt could be replicated in Cebu City.
The features Mikel presented includes the green spaces Melbourne has along its community buildings, family development, and solid waste management.
“The City of Melbourne has a target to divert 90 percent of waste from the landfill by 2030 and a 20 percent reduction in household wastes. Their vision is for Melbourne to transition towards zero waste,” Mikel said, adding that this is what the City is going to pursue.
Though not all features can be adopted, he also presented the mode of transportation in Melbourne, mentioning its “inter-modal public transportation complementary and non-competing/non-redundant routes.”
On road and vehicular traffic, Mikel said Melbourne has no traffic enforcers, “thanks to a smarter road program which has traffic monitoring cameras, wireless travel time sensors, vehicle detectors, real-time information and a dynamic pedestrian crossing.”
“Hopefully ang kaning tanan, ang reason nganong observant kaayo mi didto, para makit-an gyud namo ang mga maanindot nga features didto sa Melbourne nga pwede nato dalhon dinhi sa city of Cebu,” Mikel said.
“I hope this is only the beginning for the evolution of our collective aspiration, nga dili ra siya Singapore-like Cebu City, it is now Singapore-like Cebu City with Melbourne features,” he added, at the end of his presentation.
“I can just imagine what’s in your head…. Change is always being resisted…but when do we pursue change? When we die and left to our children’s children the burden?” said the mayor after his son’s presentation.
Rama said that their over a month vacation in Melbourne was not wasted, describing their stay there as “cerebral, heartwarming, prospective, revealing, and humbling.”
“If we do not go out of our comfort zone, it’s either we will continue to be Jurassic…. The world is already technology, digitalization…ease of doing business, connectively at the tip of our fingers,” he said.
“If we don’t take this chance, mabiyaan ta’s train. Are we ready to face this challenge? I cannot do it alone…but I’ll give you may political will…even if death I have to face. Why? Because we don’t live this world forever…, the only thing we have is time,” he added.
To move forward, Rama said, everyone should be united and share the same vision, adding that he would be going around to know who is with him, amid the “doubters, skeptics, and non-believers”.
“I am clear with my stand. They better change residences. Wala silay pagtuo of my leadership? Gusto ta’g kausaban? Ppabalhina sila og laing siyudad..o asang probinsiya o munisipyoha. Papaulia sila..and I am serious with my statement…. Are we in agreement?” he said. | The Freeman/CNM/IHM
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