CEBU, Philippines – While he finds it a “nice endeavor” for the city government to put up a museum at the South Road Properties dedicated to the achievements of a national treasure like pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, congressional aspirant Jonathan Guardo called on Mayor Tomas Osme?a to channel the planned P100 million for basic services.
However, Osme?a said there is no need for the City Hall to be in a hurry in purchasing more garbage trucks because the city still has enough number of garbage trucks to haul the more than 100 tons of garbage to be collected daily.
Dionesio Gualiza, head of the Department of Public Services, supported the mayor’s statement that Cebu City has enough number of garbage trucks, saying “Duna ta’y 20 ka garbage trucks karon nga on running condition.”
Osmena’s statement came up after Guardo requested him to purchase more fire trucks, garbage trucks and other equipment seen to improve delivery of basic services here.
Guardo asked Osme?a, his would-be political opponent in the city’s south district in the 2010 polls, to provide more fuel to police vehicles so they can respond to alarms.
The mayor said that aside from the garbage trucks in the city, there are several garbage trucks assigned to different barangays that help in the hauling of wastes from various areas.
Osme?a said Guardo’s accusation that he just ignored the needs of the public is “purely lie because the city is even granting cash incentives to the barangay garbage personnel” to ensure that their take-home pay will not be less than P5,000 a month.
Guardo said that the mayor must also attend to the needs of the Cebu City Medical Center instead of selling the 48-year-old hospital.
“I hope these things would be given priority by the mayor in terms of attention and resources. It’s nice to put up a museum for Manny Pacquiao, but maybe that can take a backseat and I hope the basic services would be given more,” Guardo said.
Guardo was reacting to Osmena’s plan to build a museum for Pacquiao at the SRP that may cost the city P100 million.
Pacquiao, no doubt, deserves to be given a tribute, Guardo said. “He’s the greatest and deserves all accolades. But if basic services are suffering, I hope that Mayor Osme?a will come to realize what to prioritize,” he added.
But Osme?a explained that the city has enough money for the projects, saying “our problem now is how to spend our money.”
Osme?a yesterday noon presided over the meeting with some of his personnel wherein they discussed on what appropriations to be included in the eighth supplemental budget of the city this year worth P600 million. – Rene U. Borromeo/MEEV (FREEMAN NEWS)
