First resos of 17th Cebu City Council filed by neophyte lawmaker

Local

JUST a day after Cebu City’s 17th Council convened, Councilor Harold Kendrick Go wasted no time buckling down to work, becoming the first to file formal resolutions tackling the city’s worsening traffic and expanding overseas employment opportunities for local farmers.

Go filed two resolutions urging the reopening of VisCom Road in Barangay Apas and the creation of a local program that would allow city-based farmers to work seasonally in South Korea.

Go submitted the measures to the Office of the Secretary to the Sangguniang Panlungsod on July 9, a day after the City Council’s inaugural session. Both resolutions are set to be taken up in the next regular session.

One of Go’s proposed resolutions urges the national government and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to reopen the VisCom Road, which cuts through Camp Lapu-Lapu in Apas and links it to Banilad and Talamban.

Go cited the worsening traffic congestion along the Banilad-Talamban corridor. He stressed that reopening the road would provide an alternative route and ease daily gridlock.

“This is a practical, community-level solution to a growing citywide problem. We recognize the AFP’s need for security, but reopening VisCom Road under controlled access could benefit the public significantly,” Go said.

The resolution specifically requests President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., as Commander-in-Chief of the AFP, to allow vehicle access along VisCom Road, subject to AFP security guidelines, such as decal systems and access protocols already in place for military personnel and visitors.

The road was previously open to the public but has been restricted in recent years due to security concerns.

“The general welfare must also be weighed,” Go noted.“This access route doesn’t only benefit nearby communities but enhances mobility citywide—especially for emergency services, commuters, and businesses.”

In a separate resolution, Go proposed that Cebu City, through its Public Employment Service Office (PESO), pursue a partnership with the Seasonal Workers Program (SWP) of Gangwon Province, South Korea, which legally hires foreign laborers for short-term work in agriculture and fisheries.

With Cebu City having around 11,000 registered farmers, Go believes many can benefit from structured overseas employment through a local program tied to SWP.

“This can be a life-changing opportunity for many of our farmers and rural workers,” he said. “We are looking at creating a pathway to legal, temporary, and safe overseas work in one of South Korea’s most organized systems.”

The resolution urges PESO to coordinate with the Department of Migrant Workers, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and the Korean Embassy, and to submit an official proposal to Gangwon Province.

It also requests PESO to update the Council’s Committee on Labor, Employment, Cooperative, and Livelihood on all developments regarding the initiative. Gangwon has a 2025 quota of 75,000 seasonal workers as part of South Korea’s rural labor strategy.(TGP)