STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS: Archival reveals big plans as council reorganizes

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CEBU City Mayor Nestor Archival used his first State of the City Address (SOCA) to present an ambitious development blueprint for the next decade.

The long-term vision is backed by a City Council whose newly approved leadership and committee lineup place nearly all major legislative panels under the control of Barug and Kusug allies.

Speaking before the Council, Archival noted that his first year in office focused primarily on laying the groundwork for reforms. To transition into this next phase, the mayor unveiled wide-ranging plans covering food security, infrastructure, digital governance, healthcare, and environmental protection.

The immediate challenge, he said, is turning those short-term plans into programs that will reshape Cebu City by 2035.

Meanwhile, lawmakers reorganized their ranks to align with this vision and steer the city's legislative agenda for the coming year.

The mayor introduced a vision anchored on three priorities: building a sustainable, smart, and inclusive city through projects intended to strengthen food production, improve public services, modernize government transactions, and expand social programs.

Many of those initiatives, however, will require legislative action, including budget appropriations, enabling ordinances, and approval of land acquisitions.

The council's reorganization immediately after the SOCA could provide that support.

The Barug and Kusug allies, which already secured the chamber's top leadership posts during the inaugural session, further consolidated their majority by taking control of nearly all committees handling budget, laws, infrastructure, urban planning, transportation, environment, public services, and economic development.

The committee assignments leave the coalition in a strong position to influence the council's legislative priorities, oversee executive departments, and determine the pace of measures needed to advance the administration's programs.

Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña remains the council's presiding officer, while Councilor Phillip Zafra serves as president pro tempore and Councilor Winston Pepito takes over as majority floor leader.

Councilor David Tumulak now chairs the Committee on Budget and Finance along with the committees on Disaster Risk Reduction, Safety and Climate Change Adaptation, and Health.

Councilor Mikel Rama heads the Committees on Laws, Ordinances and Styling and Housing, while Councilor Edgardo "Jaypee" Labella II leads Infrastructure and Information and Communication Technology.

Councilor Harold Kendrick Go chairs Urban Planning, Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship, and Labor, Employment, Cooperative and Livelihood, while Councilors Joel Garganera, Pastor "Jun" Alcover Jr., Franklyn Ong, Pepito, and Zafra also received multiple committee chairmanships.

Only four members of the minority bloc—Councilors Michelle Abella-Cellona, Jose Lorenzo Abellanosa, Alvin Arcilla and Sisinio Andales—did not receive committee chairmanships.

While the council reorganized, Archival highlighted programs his administration had already rolled out during its first year.

Among them was the city's subsidized rice program, which has benefited nearly 16,000 families through the distribution of 20-kilogram sacks of rice.

The mayor also announced that Cebu City secured a P145-million Local Government Support Fund grant from the national government to purchase approximately 180,000 sacks of 10-kilogram rice for indigent beneficiaries identified by the Department of Social Welfare and Services.

Archival said the city is pursuing additional infrastructure assistance from the national government, noting that Cebu City is assured of at least another P145 million but could receive as much as P1 billion if departments immediately prepare project proposals.

"I am asking our department heads to work overtime so we can maximize these opportunities," he said.

He also revealed that the Department of Agriculture has committed between P300 million and P1 billion for a proposed food terminal, provided the city acquires a suitable site.

Food security remained one of the centerpiece themes of the address.

Archival said model farms and greenhouse hydroponic facilities have already been established and will eventually be transferred to the South Road Properties.

Similar demonstration farms are scheduled to open in the city's north and south districts beginning next year before expanding further in 2028.

The mayor noted that around 65 percent of the food consumed in Cebu City comes from outside the province, making local production an important long-term goal.

Beyond agriculture, Archival outlined major infrastructure and environmental projects, including the proposed P1-billion study and engineering design for the Lusaran Dam in partnership with the Regional Development Council and the Department of Public Works and Highways.

If completed, the project is expected to provide around 100,000 cubic meters of water for the city.

He also announced an upcoming partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the KEEP Foundation to protect about 500 hectares of forestland in Barangay Cantipla, alongside plans to convert a 19-hectare property near Ayala Heights into a public forest park.

The city has likewise planted about 126,000 trees, nearly half of its three-year target of 256,000.

"The challenge now is ensuring that these trees survive," Archival said.

On waste management, the mayor said the city's eco-station at the South Road Properties now diverts around 15 tons of garbage daily from the landfill, while composting facilities in upland barangays are expected to reduce another 20 tons each day.

He also reported that approximately 90 percent of the coastal cleanup in Barangay Pasil has been completed.

Looking ahead, Archival said the administration intends to expand digital governance through online business permit processing, electronic traffic citation devices and a proposed no-contact apprehension system that uses surveillance cameras to detect traffic violations.

The study for the no-contact apprehension program is expected to conclude later this year, with implementation targeted after the necessary ordinances and funding are secured.

The mayor likewise reaffirmed his commitment to completing the Cebu City Medical Center expansion before his term ends, saying portions of the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors are expected to begin operating by the first quarter of 2027.

Archival also reiterated plans to expand medium-rise housing, improve water supply, reduce non-revenue water, negotiate lower electricity costs, and strengthen assistance for vendors, kutseros, and workers in the informal sector.

With its legislative leadership now in place and the mayor's long-term agenda formally presented, the 17th Cebu City Council is expected to begin deliberating on the measures that will determine how quickly the administration's Cebu City 2035 vision moves from policy to implementation.(TGP)