Socialized housing is their priority
CEBU CITY (Feb. 17, 2024) — Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia has declared that he will not part ways with Mayor Mike Rama in their political journey next year.
Rama also confirmed that the Rama-Garcia tandem stays during Family Day event among city employees at the Sinulog stage area in City de Mare at South Road Properties (SRP) today,
|📷 PIO/Allan Defensor
Garcia made is position clear Friday, Feb. 16, before the city’s 80 barangay captains who gathered for an orientation about the synchronized registration for potential beneficiaries of socialized housing program at Cebu Business Hotel.
During the gathering of city employees as part of the 87th Carter Day celebration, Mayor Rama asserted that there is no necessity to alter the electoral arrangement for the 2025 elections.
He highlighted that he and Garcia are still serving their first terms, along with Representatives Cutie del Mar and Edu Rama of the city’s north and south districts.
“With pride, privilege, and distinction and with no fear of contradiction, still my Vice Mayor for 2025 (is) Raymond Garcia!” Rama declared.
“We are a family of servants, and I guarantee as your leader (that) I always look back at who has been with us and stood for us, and precisely mao ni ang atong pamilya,” he emphasized.
Furthermore, Rama expressed his readiness to step down, if necessary, to uphold unity within their political circle.
“Yes, there were periods where there is such an era of uncertainty, but you know pretty well that I can always go down and the record will tell,” he said, recalling the circumstances leading to the 2019 election.
“I would have wanted to run for mayor but for unity as suggested by former Mayor Alvin Garcia, aron dili mabungkag ang among pamilyang pulitikanhon,” he recalled.
With pride, privilege, and distinction and with no fear of contradiction, still my Vice Mayor for 2025 (is) Raymond Garcia! We are a family of servants, and I guarantee as your leader (that) I always look back at who has been with us and stood for us, and precisely mao ni ang atong pamilya.
Mayor Mike Rama
“Mao na ang nahitabo, Edgardo Colina Labella, nag mayor, Mike Rama, gusto unta ko mag mayor, ninaog ko. Mao na,” he pointed out.
Rama and Garcia’s separate declarations follow the announcement of lawyer Atty. Jose Daluz III in a newspaper interview that he would run against Rama with barangay captain Dave Tumulak as running mate.
The former councilor also mentioned his observation that Vice Mayor Garcia is closely aligned with Mayor Rama.
K-PAP
Meanwhile, Mayor Rama emphasized his administration’s commitment to realize the dreams of the city, especially in the housing program.
“Give your mayor your confidence. Give your mayor the thrust,” he said during the gathering of barangay leaders that the Division of Welfare for the Urban Poor (DWUP) organized.
Vice Mayor Garcia welcomed this sentiment, as their efforts with the Mayor are aligned, particularly in the housing program for the underprivileged residents of the city.
“I know I can make a difference, especially for constituents without homes,” he expressed in his concurrent capacity as chair of the committee on housing in the City Council.
During the gathering dubbed as Rehistro K-PAP (Kada Pamilya Adunay Pinuy-anan) 2024, DWUP sought the help of barangay officials to identify residents eligible for the government’s housing program.
DWUP also asked them to identify possible sites in their respective barangays that could be used for housing projects.
It also refreshed to the barangay leaders relevant laws, including the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992 and local ones like Ordinance 1481 that regulates structures in the city.
City planner Arch’t. Joseph Michael Espina also presented the city major housing program, the South Coastal Urban Development (SCUD).
He also outlined Mayor Rama’s plans for SRP, including the construction of transitional housing consisting of 650 units and the new Cebu City Hall building. | PPRMN / PIO / cte / em
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