The Cebu City Council has taken a significant step to improve access to government services for its mountain communities. Councilors have filed a resolution urging the City Government to set up a satellite City Hall office in the highlands.
Addressing Logistical Challenges for Upland Communities
The resolution, championed by Councilor Pastor Alcover Jr., directly addresses the severe difficulties faced by residents of mountain barangays. Currently, these individuals must undertake long and costly journeys to the city proper for basic government transactions.
Residents often spend an entire day just to process documents, disrupting their work and straining household budgets. This burden falls heavily on farmers, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and daily wage earners who can ill afford the time or travel expense.
Proposed Location and Strategic Benefits
The proposed site for the decentralized office is the Cebu City Resource Management and Development Center (Cremdec) in Barangay Taptap. The resolution notes that this center is strategically situated at the heart of several clustered upland barangays and already possesses the necessary space, accessibility, and infrastructure to host government frontline services.
Establishing a satellite office at Cremdec is expected to yield multiple benefits:
- Reduce the need for multiple trips to the main City Hall.
- Streamline the processing of documents like business permits, community tax certificates, and social welfare papers.
- Ease congestion at the central government office in the city proper.
A Move for Inclusive Governance and Development
The resolution underscores that this decentralization effort is in line with Republic Act 7160, the Local Government Code of 1991, which mandates local governments to enhance service delivery and promote the general welfare. It also points to successful satellite models implemented by other local government units and national agencies.
The measure formally calls on the Office of the Mayor, through the City Administrator, to identify which frontline departments will operate regularly at the Cremdec site. Copies have been sent to the City Planning and Development Office and other relevant departments for action.
Councilor Alcover framed the initiative as a core part of a broader vision for inclusive development. "Bringing essential services closer to our upland residents is not just about convenience; it is about ensuring equal access to government programs and opportunities for all Cebuanos," he emphasized. The resolution was filed on December 27, 2025.
