Through public bidding: Opposition dads back SRP lot sale

CEBU, Philippines —  Opposition councilors in Cebu City support the plan of Mayor Tomas Osmeña to dispose of a three-hectare property at the South Road Properties through public bidding.

Councilors Joel Garganera and Raymond Alvin Garcia said a public bidding is a more transparent mode of sale than an unsolicited proposal.

“I am very much in favor of a public bidding, it’s very transparent compared to the method that the mayor previously wants to adopt,” Garganera told The FREEMAN.

Osmeña would have wanted to respond to an unsolicited offer from Federal Land but the Commission on Audit did not respond to the city’s request for it to appraise the value of the SRP lot.

The city also wanted to COA to review and concur to the resolution of the Committee on Awards, which appraised the lot at P110,000 per square meter.

“They’ve been sitting on it for months. Our original intention was to accept the proposal (of Federal Land) to save time because the COA is sitting on it. What are they waiting for?” Osmeña told reporters earlier.

Federal Land wants to buy Lot 1 F-8, Psd-07-075186 with 29,881 square meters at P115,000 per square meter or for a total of P3.43 billion.

It wants to build nine residential towers surrounded by a variety of street level shops, restaurants interspersed with verdant landscapes and sports and leisure facilities.

The mayor’s executive assistant, Francisco Fernandez, said an announcement for bidding will be publicized formally before the year ends.

Garganera said it has been over two years that the City Council passed an ordinance authorizing Osmeña to dispose of the property.

Garcia, for his part, said, “It’s good he (mayor) realized that best way to maximize the sale is thru public bidding and not thru unsolicited proposal. It worked during the time of former mayor (Michael) Rama. There is no shame in being a copycat for as long as the city benefits.”

He commended Osmeña for pushing through with the sale through public bidding.

Garcia believes a public bidding will be most advantageous to the city because the city can get the highest price for the property.

Meanwhile, Garganera hopes that Osmeña will act on the permit applications of giant firms that bought a 45.2-hectare property at SRP during the previous administration.

“That could spell tens of thousands of construction workers and employments, not to mention income to the city and economic development in the area,” he said. — JMO (FREEMAN)