Gerard Ho Wei Hong, Singapore's ambassador to the Philippines, supported Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama's aim of converting the central Philippine city into a world-class destination with efficient transit systems and cutting-edge infrastructure.
During his courtesy call with Rama at the Cebu City Hall on Monday (13 February), Ho indicated his desire to contribute his expertise to assist Rama's goal, stating that Singapore has businesses that may provide solutions to aid in Cebu City's development.
"We have firms that can help you with the answers," Ho added, according to a report by SunStar Philippines, as Rama showed him Singapore-inspired advertising movies promoting the city's intentions to acquire the same progressive and successful status as Singapore.
Developing a cruise port
Ho suggested constructing a cruise port comparable to Singapore's to stimulate tourism and the local economy.
The ambassador stated, "You have a lovely city... and a beautiful province, therefore you should have a cruise terminal."
'Singapore-like' ambition for Cebu In his first address as mayor on 30 June 2022, Rama unveiled his plans to modernize the city.
His immediate intentions include constructing 200 medium-rise structures comparable to Singapore's Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats to house homeless residents, city hall personnel, and informal settlers.
Ho praised Rama's intentions and discussed Singapore's early struggles as a city-state, noting that they had learnt from their failures.
"We've made a lot of errors, but we've learnt from them," Ho said of Singapore's struggles during its formative years as a city-state.
As a sign of thanks, Rama gave Ho a golden key that represents opening all doors in Cebu.
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