Monday, September 29, 2008 Mongaya: Selling SRP By Anol Mongaya
CEBU City Mayor Tomas Osmeña has again raised hopes that fi-nally his expensive pet project, the South Reclamation Project, won’t become a white elephant. The publicity about the Filinvest Land Inc. (FLI) unsolicited bid to buy 10 hectares of prime land for P2 billion and a joint investment with the Cebu City Government for the development of another 40 hectares should keep critics at bay.
Though admitting the process long and tedious, city officials are now talking about possible three to four years of relief from payment of the multi-billion loan for the SRP. Payment of P2 billion should ease the pressure to sacrifice city services in favor of debt servicing. Mayor Osmeña could now, for instance, again shelve his plan to sell the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC).
Behind the glowing press statements however, there are several things that need to be done at the SRP to make it attractive for investors.
SRP critic Joel Garganera remains skeptical the sale could be closed within the year. There is still the legal question he raised now pending at the Court of Appeals.
Nevertheless, he said the issues he brought up should pressure the opposition-less Cebu City leadership to follow procedures and refrain from shortcuts.
City officials, he said, should also seriously look into questions on additional sources of power which is not available yet until the coal-fired plants in Naga and Toledo cities start operations come 2010 at the earliest.
We also have to hear of serious plans to supply the expected huge water needs for SRP.
Will Filinvest release its P2 billion immediately or will it wait for the availability of water and power so it could start business operations as soon as possible? Cebuanos still need to look at the details of the company’s proposal.
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Cebu media just concluded its weeklong celebration of press freedom with a rousing party sponsored by San Miguel Corp. at the Holiday Plaza hotel. The renewed resolve to push the freedom of the press, I’m sure, will mean more efforts to uncover truths that local and national officials hidden despite their declarations of transparency.
The SRP, for instance, is one major local government endeavor that is not exactly transparent.
Over at Mandaue City, I hope Capitol’s efforts to forge peace between the warring Mayor Jonas Cortes and Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna won’t lead to only glowing news reports. If the opposition will stop its expose of alleged anomalies, media should take up the cudgels. Somebody should make sure, for example, that the Kabanay won’t take this as an opportunity to further consolidate control.
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The recently-concluded Press Freedom Week was also an occasion for what members described as the “soft-launching” of the newly reorganized National Press Club Cebu. RTC Judge Meindrado Paredes inducted the group’s officers composed of editors, columnists, and reporters from various news outlets at the Wan Shang Lo restaurant at the 20th floor of Club Ultima.
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Sen. Mar Roxas is obviously taking extra efforts to become the presidential bet of the Visayas and Mindanao. His frequent visits to Cebu tell us he considers the huge Cebuano vote as a crucial factor in his bid to enter Malacañang come 2010.
With Senate President Manny Villar still dealing with the P200-million insertion issue at the Senate floor, Senator Roxas has taken the lead in their sorties to the south while other presidentiables seem to be focusing their efforts in Metro Manila.
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Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) Cebu Chief Ariel Palcuto said he will concentrate his efforts into uncovering how and stopping the entry of harmful milk products from China. He was heartened by a Cebu Provincial Board resolution that specifically asked his agency to look into the situation.
In the process however, the PASG should not lower its vigilance against the entry of other smuggled products like sugar. My sources said local downtown outlets are still flooded with sugar and other consumer goods supplied by a certain George. These were allegedly smuggled through other ports and brought to Cebu.
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