Saturday, December 15, 2007 Roperos: Gwapotel By Godofredo M. Roperos Politics Also
THERE is in Manila’s port area now along Bonifacio Drive, not far from the office of the Manila Times where I dropped by last week, a four storey building called Gwapotel.
I learned that it is a low cost sleeping place for low income travelers. For a mere P25 a night, a visitor need not rough it out in afternoon traffic to return home only to come back the following day to finish unfinished business and spend about P150 in the process.
A project of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the hotel is intended to give Metro Manilans a place to stay in the city rather than return home in the afternoon to, say, Tanay or Antipolo. And with lesser commuters, there would also be less traffic to contend with.
The MMDA is reportedly contemplating on putting up more Gwapotels in other MMDA cities.
If you ask me, the idea should not be confined to Metro Manila. It is a project that such urban centers as Baguio, Cebu, Davao, and Cagayan de Oro might also put up. The savings they make would be significant, especially at a time like we have now when inflation has raised the cost of living higher than has been expected, especially to the fixed income workers.
I learned that one can stay in Manila’s Gwapotel even if he lives outside Metro Manila. Those who follow up papers for their employment abroad can stay at the facility. There are more than 700 bed spaces available and the occupancy rate since its May, 2007 opening ranges from 80 to 90 percent.
Plans are afoot to expand the facility to accommodate an expected increase in occupancy in the coming months. Check in time at the moment is at two o’clock in the afternoon, while check out time is nine o’clock the following day.
The time, I was told, is set to the average schedule of the guests who will have to go out at nine to follow up papers, and those who have just arrived, and would check in after lunch, and settle in for an overnight stay in the city, and have time enough to rest.
The project, it seems, is one of the innovative ideas of MMDA chairman Bayani Fernando. A former mayor, Fernando was tapped by GMA to head the Metro Manila authority. He was transferred as public works secretary, but stayed there only for a short while.
He chose to return to the MMDA where he reportedly felt there was more challenge. He then came up with the “Metro Gwapo” program aimed at making Metro Manila a clean and beautiful metropolis.
