There has already been much discussion for the creation of an MMDA-like organization for Metro Cebu. On April 1, 2011, through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed by local government executives, heads of national government agencies, and leaders of the private and civil society sector, the Metro Cebu Development and Coordinating Board (MCDCB) was created.
Unlike the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the MCDCB does not have legal and institutional powers.
MCDCB is a consortium of the Province of Cebu; 13 cities and municipalities located on the eastern side of Cebu island, including the cities of Carcar, Naga, Talisay, Cebu, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and Danao and municipalities of San Fernando, Minglanilla, Cordova, Consolacion, Liloan, and Compostela; regional line agencies; and private and civil society organizations.
The chart below shows the organizational structure of the Metro Cebu Development and Coordinating Board (MCDCB), which is led by the Cebu Provincial Government (Governor), co-chaired by the LGU (Mayor) and the private sector/civil society, and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) serving as MCDCB secretariat.
The Research, Program and Organizational Development (RPOD) of the MCDCB that serves as coordinating and operations unit and process facilitator of the various functions, structures, plans, programs, and efforts of the MCDCB is now headed by the Cebu Leads Foundation (CLF).
The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation (RAFI) which was the previous RPOD, remains as a member of the Board.
The private sector/civil society co-chairs with the public sector the four (4) focus area-based committees (FABComs) namely:
- Integrated Development & Planning
- Environment and Public Safety
- HR, Assets and Partnerships
- ICT & Knowledge Management
Anchored on a Mega Cebu Vision
The MCDCB promotes the vision of a “Mega Cebu” that basically considers the long-term and collaborative planning and action towards a more sustainable city-region.
Mega Cebu envisions “a vibrant, equitable, sustainable and competitive environment that embraces Cebu’s creativity and its cultural, historical, and natural resources, with strong citizen participation and responsive governance.”
- Here are some of the features of Mega Cebu:
- Based on the framework of a CITY REGION, where local government units (LGUs) are encouraged to collaborate and coordinate policies, plans, programs, projects, and practices addressing common and trans-boundary assets, issues, and challenges
- A view and VISION of the collective FUTURE, based on common GROUND and shared IDENTITY
- The perspective of looking at governance and development from a BIG PICTURE and not on an individual LGU-specific scale
- A shared RESPONSIBILITY and serves as a platform for citizen-leader engagement and public and private sector (including civil society) partnership and cooperation
- Anchored on and considers the larger provincial (whole Cebu) and regional (Visayas) context, while starting out its engagement and intervention at the Metro Cebu (13 LGUs) level. Conceptually, thus, Mega Cebu is larger than Metro Cebu and considers the population of the entire ‘province’ or ‘island’ in the year 2050 – which is projected to reach 12 million (noting the ‘technical’ definition of a mega city population which is 10 million or more).
Existing Framework
We hope the current government will revisit the Mega Cebu initiative and the existing framework of the Metro Cebu Development and Coordinating Board, improve upon it where needed so its creation can be fast-tracked.
Especially so after the IATF recommended the creation of an MMDA-like organization for Metro Cebu.
Read more on Mega Cebu and the MCDCB here. View their facebook page here.
Watch the following videos on Mega Cebu and the MCDCB below for better appreciation.