Just call him Tom

CEBU, Philippines — On his return to public service, Cebu City Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña wants to ban his photo from being displayed inside City Hall, stating that this will be one of his basic rules. No office in City Hall will be allowed to hang his photos.

He said whenever he sees a picture of the mayor alongside national officials like the president, it comes across as showing off.

“What’s the message? I’m a big shot, I don’t like that,” said Osmeña.

He emphasized that under his leadership, there will be no sacred cows and nobody will be allowed to use his name to gain an advantage. In addition, Osmeña is now implementing a practice where nobody is allowed to call him “mayor”, “vice”, or “sir.”

“Just call me Tommy, they’ll get used to it,” said Osmeña.

He further explained that he wants to break the tradition and stereotype among top officials or politicians, adding that he simply wants to fulfill his role as a public servant.

“I am the same as anyone,” said Osmeña, “I do not like people who makes sipsip.”

Now that he is back in office, Osmeña said he will contribute to putting the “mess” of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) back in order, but also voiced skepticism about converting the project into a Public-Private Partnership (PPP).

In a press conference yesterday, Osmeña recalled how his administration came up with the idea of the CBRT to provide mass transportation from Barangay Talamban in the north to Pardo in the south. He added that this was also meant to address the long-standing issue of traffic congestion.

He then echoed how he negotiated just to get the project approved by the National Economic and Development Authority and other national officials, until they finally got the green light.

“But now, they do not know how to do it, but there were many things that is wrong with it,” said Osmeña.

Among the issues he cited was the lack of a pedestrian overpass, which is supposed to be part of the CBRT project. He added that this is crucial since the station is located in the middle of the road, and passengers should not have to cross the street at ground level.

Aside from this, Osmeña also criticized the incorporation of the waiting shed allegedly designed by Cobonpue, who, he noted, previously chaired the Regional Development Council. He stressed that this presents a conflict of interest and said he would like to investigate how Cobonpue ended up as the contractor.

He also lambasted the presence of a “walkway” going to the pier. It can be recalled that this was not included in the original CBRT design, specifically the pedestrianization or Link-to-the-Port feature. He said this feature isn’t viable, considering that people coming from the port usually carry luggage, making it impractical to walk.

Osmeña further said that this vision “will not work.” It can also be recalled that Department of Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon has reaffirmed that preparations are underway for a PPP.

“God bless your soul, do PPP. I don’t see how it will work,” said Osmeña.

Despite this, he added that he wants to see the initial implementation to prove that it will not work. He said once the PPP fails, there will be a reason to realign the project. One of the reasons for his certainty is that the CBRT is flexible since it will be plied with buses. He emphasized that its route can still be utilized for other purposes, such as parades, without needing any readjustments.

He said while a PPP involves a partnership between private and public entities, it is no longer attractive to investors since the route will pass through areas with no residents. He stressed that nobody lives in SM Seaside, where the new route is included.

“But people coming from Talamban to Cebu City, daghan, people coming from Pardo to Cebu City, daghan,” said Osmeña, adding that PPP is no longer appealing to investors.

HOUSING FOR SINGLE MOTHERS

To minimize the burden of single mothers and allow them to participate in the workforce, Osmeña shared plans on a communal housing project for single mothers where they will live in the same apartment and travel to and from work together.

He said that the proposed pilot scheme will begin with 40 single mothers, who will be employed in the same Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company, and live with their families in the same building, which is going to be provided by the city government.

“We still have to find, we need only one company to do this single mothers concept. There will only be 40 in the beginning, because that’s only (the capacity of) one bus,” he said.

Osmeña explained that under this system, their children are also sent to the same school at the same time, and picked up from school to their homes at the same time as well.

He also said the single mothers will share one kitchen space --one where dedicated cooks can do grocery shopping and prepare the food for all the residents in this housing system, in order to reduce the workload of the mothers.

He added that expenses for materials such as cooking oil and toiletries can be mitigated by sponsorships with brands.

Osmeña said this project takes inspiration from Israel’s “kibbutz” system, where communities share nearly everything, including housing, food, and income, and can be expanded if the model proves to be a success.

Last June 19, Osmeña unveiled plans about this housing system in consultations with various BPO companies. In his initial proposal, he shared that childcare, food, laundry, and home essentials will either be handled communally or outsourced from service providers, paid by a managing institution.

The BPO will first send the employees’ salaries through the institution, deducting expenses for housing, food, education, and other housekeeping services, before sending them to the employees.

He then said that single mothers under this system will not be forced to stay against their will, but encouraged them to try participating in the project if they are interested.

“You can leave anytime. But if you have nowhere to go, try this. It’s something for you,” he said.

This project is part of Osmeña’s various initiatives to support BPO employees in the city, including a dedicated shuttle bus service for night shift workers and a work-study hybrid plan for youth unable to finish college. Joseph Adrian Leyson, CNU Journalism intern/BRP (CEBU NEWS)