Friday, September 05, 2008 Convention center may end as a ‘White elephant’ By Cong B. Corrales Of SunStar Cagayan de Oro
THE Cagayan de Oro Convention Center in Sitio Taguanao, Barangay Indahag, this city, is one of government infrastructure projects affected by the Supreme Court decision reverting the 105-hectare estate of Dona Josefina Graciano vda Neri into public land.
The fate of the still-unfinished convention center, supposed to be the pride of Cagayan de Oro, could hang in the balance just in the case of Lawndale Springs or Kagay-an Resorts, also in Sitio Taguanao.
But Willy Cuenca, chief of staff of Senator Aquilino Pimentel, is optimistic that they would no longer reapply for the ownership of the land where the convention center stood, unlike the City Government, which lost Lawndale Springs or Kagay-an Resorts.
Cuenca said the convention center is a project by the National Government who became the owner of the Neri estate by virtue of the High Court decision. Senator Pimentel, who hails from Cagayan de Oro, is the main endorser of the convention project.
Lawyer Maryanne Enteria, head of the city legal office, said the City Government is set to reapply at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Land Management for the land ownership of the Kagay-an Resort.
"Dili maapektahan ang convention center ana nga ruling kay national project man kana. Since the land is reverted to public land, the owner is the National Government," Cuenca told Sunstar Cagayan de Oro.
Associate Justice Leonardo Quisumbing ruled that the judicial title of the Neri estate did not pass through proper government processes "even bypassing the then-Bureau of Land and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources."
The High Court ordered the reversion of the estate into a public land rendering the land ownership of claimants including beneficiaries of the Department of Agrarian Reform in doubt.
Opposition lawyer Manuel Ravanera said the decision transformed the convention center and the Kagay-an Resort into "white elephants."
He said millions of pesos in taxpayers' money have gone to waste because of the lack of foresight by government planners.
"Gigastohan og ayo sa gobyerno pero wala gihapon paadtoan. Total waste kini sa kwarta sa katawhan," Ravanera said.
Cuenca, however, belied that the construction of the convention center is "a waste of taxpayers money."
He said funds for the project come "in trickles" because Senator Pimentel is a known opposition figure against the administration of President Gloria Arroyo.
"Hinay kaayo ang release sa pondo. Usahay putol-putol ang fund allocation," Cuenca said.
Cuenca said the Department of Public Works and Highways is the government agency tasked to construct the convention center.
Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro found no workers from the DPWH when it visited the construction site of the convention center in Sitio Taguanao.
Instead, there was only silence at the site and there was even a pile of firewood displayed for sale at its yard. A lone security guard watched over the premises, which was fenced with a sign "Do not enter restricted area."
