by Zarah May Arshad, Mega Cebu Intern
Mega Cebu, in partnership with CODE-NGO and the University of San Jose-Recoletos, hosted a forum with presidential candidate Manuel “Mar” Roxas last Nov. 12 at the USJ-R Center for Performing Arts.
The event kicked off with a welcome address by Patricia Sarenas, CODE-NGO chairperson. It was followed by the presentation about Mega Cebu by Dondi Joseph, Metro Cebu Development and Coordinating Board planning committee chair and Cebu Business Club president. He highlighted Mega Cebu’s vision for Metro Cebu and its Roadmap Study for Sustainable Development.
Bert Aquino, chair of advocacy commission of CODE-NGO, also presented their development and reform agenda for the country.
Roxas responded to both plans with one of the earliest lessons he received from his father, former senator Gerardo Roxas: “Plan your work, work your plans.”
Emphasizing the importance of implementation, Roxas pointed out that the Philippines was the fastest rising economy in Asia in the 1940s and second only to Japan in the 1950s with their great population of intelligent professionals.
“The destinies of nations and cities are not preordained,” Roxas said. “Both rise and fall, yet destinies of nations are very much determined by what the people of these nations do.”
The road to development paved its way when President Benigno Aquino III was elected into office in 2010 with his “Tuwid na Daan” core strategy, he added.
Roxas then encouraged the youth to take progress into their hands and to choose wisely.
For more information about Mega Cebu, visit www.megacebu.org or call 418-7234 loc. 138 and look for Mitch or Jiri. For updates, like or follow Mega Cebu on facebook.com/megacebu2050, twitter.com/mega_cebu and instagram.com/megacebu. #
