Cabaero: Localizing ‘unity’

The message of unity was what brought election victory to presumptive president Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and presumptive vice president Sara Duterte-Carpio. How then to translate that unity to the local levels?Most of Cebu’s elected leaders ran under the same call to unity for Filipinos to move forward, address society’s ills, and prosper. Voters apparently believed the unity message as shown in the record numbers of votes that the winners received.New leaders will assume their positions by noon of June 30, 2022, and from that point they will be expected to work towards attaining unity through means still to be outlined at the national level but can be envisioned at the local levels as the May 9, 2022 election winners were reelectionists.This is especially true for Cebu where leaders of the Province and the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu are getting fresh terms. They supported the Marcos-Duterte tandem and adopted the message of unity and vowed the continuity of programs of President Rodrigo Duterte such as the “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program.The point of unity is not only to continue what has been started but also to bring people of different beliefs and affiliations behind a common goal and to have leaders agree on common directions and priorities. Cebu’s leaders are better positioned now than in the past to agree and cooperate with each other on priorities for a metropolis that is densely populated and that shares problems on roads, water, garbage, and jobs. When people see their leaders working together and not bickering, they get inspired to do their part to ensure the success of programs.But, first, leaders have to identify areas where they can employ the unity message. What comes to mind is a unified approach to address health emergencies and to solve transportation woes. These are the areas where localizing the message of unity is needed.The coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic is not over and there is a need for local leaders to act in a coordinated and comprehensive way to ensure the health and safety of Cebuanos. There have been disagreements in the handling of the pandemic and in the intensity or levels of movement restrictions. Even travel requirements at some point differed from one local government unit to another in that you would need different sets of documents to cross boundaries. Unity can play a role in the Covid-19 response in Cebu by making policies clear, logical, and consistent.Another sector needing unity in local government response is in the area of transportation. Road congestion is happening because of potholes, substandard roads, damaged traffic lights, and the lack of alternate routes. There is a need for local officials to study and then agree on solutions that will entail sharing of resources and tearing down boundaries.Localizing the unity battle cry is what Cebuanos should look forward to after June 30.