Ambassador Alain Gaschen paid a courtesy call on Mayor Michael Rama at the latter’s office on Saturday, October 22, 2022.
According to a report from the City’s Public Information Office, Gaschen was impressed with Rama’s Singapore-like vision for the city.
Gaschen said he would invite waste-to-energy (WTE) companies in Switzerland to invest in Cebu City.
“I am very impressed with your vision because you showed the potential for your city. Switzerland is a country with a lot of waste-to-energy companies and we can invite them here to invest or make a partnership,” he said.
The ambassador told Rama that his country’s two leading industries were WTE and transportation and he could vouch for Cebu City as a potential area for renewable energy projects.
For transportation, Gaschen said that he could invite companies that could input knowledge on the installation of a cable car system, which was introduced during the City’s mobility summit last Sept. 26.
Rama told the ambassador that he was pushing for WTE facilities to solve the problem of flooding by eradicating garbage in the waterways.
Last Sept. 22, the City Government inked a deal with a private company for the construction of a P4.8-billion WTE facility that could accommodate 800 tons of garbage per day and could generate electricity.
The facility will be capable of providing electricity to 40,000 households. The electricity can be sold to electric utility providers that can provide an income to the City Government of up to P24 million annually.