With thriving opportunities for business and investment, Cebu is poised to place itself at the center of the drive to move the country’s economy forward.

Cebuanos expect the addition of Bogo, Carcar, and Naga to Cebu’s growing list of emerging cities to further speed up the momentum of the economy. However, this economic expansion will be stunted or go side by side with the specter of uninhibited growth for the sake of growth if left undirected.

Even now, frustrations resulting from the congestion of roads, garbage disposal problems, air pollution and the spreading out of slum areas are not anymore new to Cebu and its older cities.

At times, there is also the tendency to give up our cultural heritages in the quest to fast-track development. This lack of historical sensibility is best exemplified in the sprouting of unsightly structures, including a fast food chain branch around the parish church in a southern Cebu town’s poblacion.

Left on its own, this kind of development poses a significant threat to the well being of the people of the province.

Naga, however, seems up to the challenge.

Last year, Naga Mayor Val Chiong launched Vision and Leadership 2020 (VAL 2020), a strategic blueprint that seeks to attract investors to the municipality.

Hence, improvements in Naga’s plaza and boardwalk are now in order while tapping the town’s historical significance and potential as a tourist destination. So is the construction of a seaport that will connect the soon-to-be Naga City to Tagbilaran, Ormoc and other towns in the Southern Philippines.

Moreover, two Korean-built clean-coal powered plants that will answer the province’s growing energy needs without sacrificing the environment will be located in Naga.

Interestingly, the promising southern Cebu municipality is already the site of a power plant, a cement plant and a newly completed concrete road that connects it to Toledo City.

Therefore, it is no surprise that Plantersbank, the country’s leading bank for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), to choose Naga as the venue when it announced its intention to establish the country’s first ever SME Industrial Park.

According to Plantersbank chairman and CEO Ambassador Jesus P. Tambunting, this will enable Cebu’s SMEs to utilize property investment to further boost business productivity, ensure efficient transactions and meet the growing demands of both local and foreign markets while enjoying special economic zone incentives like tax and duty-free privileges previously extended only to large corporations.

The special ecozone will be inaugurated this Wednesday, July 11, 2007.

With VAL 2020 firmly set in motion, the way to progress is laid down while avoiding the drawbacks that come with aimless modernization.

Our local leaders should think deeply on the type of existence that the people would want for themselves and involve them in reaching that end. A dynamic leadership and progressive outlook should prove as a shining example for the rest of the country to follow.<br><br>Post edited by: karlom87, at: 2007/07/06 00:47

Thanks for the background, Karlom87! Cebu is indeed a beautiful place. Let us hope it will stay that way, even as the economy progresses.

John

Growth, progress and modernization of a nation, province or a town are always good for the majority. They mean economic stability, better standard of living and social welfare benefits. However, growth poses risks to the environment and cultural heritage as presented here by karlom87.

And there have been cases in the provinces in the Philippines where the people themselves resisted taking their road to progress like objecting to cityhood status, for one. It's no secret that cityhood approval will help fast tract the implementation of projects that will trigger economic development. But there are some people who are against it because of the disadvantages.

Given such circumstance, I think the local government and the people must meet halfway and compromise. The constituents must realize that development projects will certainly uplift their economic status while the public officials remain committed to preserving their history, culture and ingenuity as well as safeguarding their most important resources ---the people's health and the environment--- in the midst of traffic congestion and road infrastructure.<br><br>Post edited by: pokkha, at: 2007/06/27 05:18

Rumor says that Cebu will be the new capital region of Philippines

Well Cebu has dramatically changed. they have used their resources very well and thanks to the people of Cebu and some government officials who stood up for the better future of their region

hmmm it looks like Cebu will be the new home business tycoons like the Ayala's and the Chinese business man!

People opposing cityhood is weird, the yes votes in recent plebiscites for cityhood in our province always garner more than 90% of those who voted.

What's weirder is the cityhood of a lot of Philippine municipalities which are still very rural and despit the lack of appropriate qualifications.

I don't know about that rumour, Manila has always been the political and intellectual capital of the country, so far.

But I think PGMA would want to do that since cause oriented groups in Cebu can muster less people in their rallies here. So different from the National Capital Region where PGMA needs to truncheon or watercannon protesters in Mendiola.

The rumour flying around coffeeshops here is the allegations that our Governor is aiming for the presidential post by 2010. But that's false. She'll be winning a third term as governor of the country's most progressive province by then.

Evidently, Cebu has always been looked upon as one of the progressive cities in the Philippines with varying status with that of Davao.

Having concrete, long term plans and eventual gradual implementations would really aid in putting them in equal, constant status, if not ahead, of the rest of the cities. If well-channelled &amp; long-term investments are to be made in Cebu, there wouldn't be a need to migrate to the very congested Manila. In fact, people in Manila may one day consider migrating to different cities across the country if potentially uplifting plans like these materializes.

About the replacement of vintage monuments though, I'd find this alarming because we really don't have that much left in our country. They should be well-protected and preserved. History is rich in Cebu and history is essential for a country's identity. Any structure depicting character should be maintained.