(encoded) Republic of the Philippines House of Representatives Quezon City, Metro Manila Hon. Rachel Marguerite B.

Del Mar Representative 1st District, Cebu City His Excellency President Benigno S. Aquino III Malacanang Palace

This refers to the request of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama to stop my projects to build two flyovers at the junctions of M.J. Cuenco Ave. & Gen. Maxilom Ave. and Gorordo Ave. & Archbishop Reyes Ave., two chokepoints in traffic-clogged Cebu City. I regret that Mayor Rama had to bother the President with this local issue which can be ably handled by the DPWH-7 regional director. Since it has already been brought to the President's attention, may I humbly submit my side of the issue. 1. The sub-structures of the two (2) flyovers have already been bidded out indicating that all requirements prescribed by the DPWH and DBM for the implementation of the flyover projects have been complied with. The flyover projects were endorsed by the Regional Development Council of Region VII per RDC Resolution No. 18-C-1 (Series of 2010), RDC Resolution No. 7-A-1 (Series of 2011) and RDC Resolution No. 12 (Series of 2011), and by then Cebu City Mayor Tomas R. Osmea in March, 2009.

Surprisingly, even incumbent Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama himself approved the flyover projects! This was when in his capacity as RDC Chairperson, he signed the approval of RDC Resolution No. 12 (S. 2011) dated June 24, 2011 approving the CY 2011-2016 Central Visayas Regional Development Investment Program (CV-RDIP)', a copy of which was attached to form part of the Resolution which included the construction of the subject two (2) flyovers. 2. The mayor and his businessmen friends say a flyover won't help in decongesting traffic at the intersection where it is built. The usefulness of a flyover has been proven, in the country and the rest of the world. A flyover allows unimpeded crossing at an intersection as it eliminates dependence on traffic lights for vehicles using it and at the same time allows crossing for vehicles on the ground level. Motorists don't have to suffer the long wait for their turn to cross, which happens if there's no flyover. 3. The mayor and his businessmen friends ask that the construction of flyovers be suspended until roads are widened and a master traffic plan is completed. Road widening is necessary. The P600 million budget for the two flyovers, which is included in the infrastructure program of DPWH for two years, allots one-half of the cost to widening the roads on both sides of the structures. But to suspend the projects because of a lack of a master plan is to ignore the previous traffic studies already made in Cebu City, including that conducted by Metro Cebu Land Use & Transport System (McLuts). An updated master plan will still include flyovers. Flyovers and widened roads are just two components to help solve the traffic problem. The others include road widening, opening of new access roads, a modern mass transit system, skywalks, regulation of car ownership, adjusting school and work schedules, and efficient traffic management. Road widening not only costs a lot of money but takes a long,

long time because of the resistance of lot owners and the ordeal of litigation. And road widening may be done after the flyover-building if both can't be done simultaneously. Newspaper columnist Valeriano Avila testified at the Aug. 26, 2011 public forum on the project that Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) when he was its chairman in 2004 already approved the construction of a flyover at the very junction where one of flyovers would now be located, and an earlier study of MCLUTS already recommended flyovers as among the major solutions to traffic congestion. 4. More people and groups support the two flyovers than those who oppose them. --The Cebu City Council, through its presiding officer Vice Mayor Joy Young, publicly announced its support to the project. --The business sector, through the Advisory Council of Past Presidents of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) has passed a resolution endorsing the flyovers. -- Forty five (45) of the 46 barangay captains in Cebu City's first district and 18 of the 34 barangay captains in the city's second district expressed their support to the project in a manifesto of the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC); --The Barangay Councils of Carreta and Camputhaw where the flyovers will be built approved resolutions in favor of the project; --The Cebu City chapter of the Barangay Councilors League of the Philippines in a resolution also supports the construction. --The officers of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation of the City of Cebu led by its Chairman John Philip Po expresses their wholehearted support to the construction of the two flyovers; --The Cebu Integrated Transport Service Multi-Purppose Cooperative (CITRASCO) led by its Chairman Ryan Benjamin Yu

expresses its full support for the flyovers; T-- he Alyansang Nagkahiuang Driver Alangsa Reportma (ANDAR) led by its Chairman Armand de Gracia also supports the flyovers. Those who were invited to the public form conducted by DPWH-7 were owners of the lots that would be affected by the project and those who earlier expressed their opposition were given preference over those who support it. The DSWD conference room, site of the forum, had only a capacity of 60 persons. The opposers were given preference so they couldn't complain they were not heard. Mr. President, the flyovers are useful infrastructures that aim to produce substantial results. They are the first in Cebu City under your administration. Aside from their intrinsic merit, they will show, clearly and visibly, that Cebu has not been overlooked in your development program. Putting them off, after two to three years of arduous preparation, would further delay infrastructures that serve the best interest and well-being of Cebuanos and foreign and domestic tourists. Looking forward to inviting the President to the inauguration of the two flyovers next year. Thank you, Mr. President.

Truly, Rachel Marguerite B. Del Mar