|
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Espinoza: Quisumbing's announcement
By Elias L. Espinoza
Was industrialist Norberto Quisumbing, Jr. or NQ serious when he told reporters he will transfer his multibillion peso business empire to Compostela, thus indirectly saying that Mandaue City officials are not friendly?
Even some businessmen in Mandaue were surprised by NQ’s announcement over the weekend. Others, however, thought he was bluffing and was only reacting to the move of the City Government to retake the lot his company leased for P1,000 a year for alleged violation of the terms and conditions of the lease.
Moving to Compostela, which has no seaport, will mean higher transport expenses for Norkis, as travel from the port of Cebu City to the said town will take more than an hour, not considering the heavy traffic daily.
Norkis is one of Cebu’s top importers. Norkis products, like Yamaha motorcycles, are from Japan. The firm also imports spare parts.
To recall, Norkis once reacted to the plan of then mayor Pedong Ouano, Mayor Ted’s father, to change the route of trucks and haulers. It was intended to ease the traffic along the highway during peak hours.
A source told me that Norkis, in its letter to the City Government, said that the scheme would mean millions of pesos in losses for the company. Thus, Mayor Pedong had to shelve the rerouting plan.
With rising oil prices, will NQ still push through with his “threat” to pull out his company from Mandaue, which is becoming a commercial and tourism center? As an astute businessman, NQ certainly knows what he is doing. However, his threat can be misunderstood since it was provoked by the city’s move against Norkis.
Mandaue’s estate tax is among the lowest in Cebu but certainly not lower than Compostela, which is a third-class municipality. This belies NQ’s claim that Mandaue’s taxes are high.
Even with this development, Mandaue is still bent on getting back the lot leased to Norkis, as Mayor Teddy Ouano feels it can be put to better use as a site of a school. And Ouano, who is in his last term, is no pushover. He vows to make Mandaue the convention center in Asia and transform it from an industrial city to a commercial and tourism hub.
And I don’t think NQ’s move has something to do with politics because, he said, he does not want to be involved in it even if his grandson Luigi is a Provincial Board member and is rumored to be running for congressman. Indeed, if Norkis moves to Compostela, Luigi will even lose some supporters.
But if I were NQ, I would voluntarily give up the lot. After all, the city needs it for a noble purpose. On it will stand a public college that will give Mandaue’s poor but deserving students the chance to get a degree.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (September 7, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
