Tuesday, October 21, 2008 Small business retailers slam Megaworld offer By Lydia C. Pendon
OVER 200 small business retailers along Iloilo City's central business district are up against the proposed plan to transfer the City Hall building to the Megaworld Corp. property at the old airport site in Mandurriao district.
Francis Chung, president of the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) Iloilo chapter, said if the plan materializes, it will signal the death of the business district known as Calle Real.
Most small and medium business retailers depend on the earnings of their small stores along the city's business district for their livelihood, he added.
Mayor Jerry P. Treñas, however, said the City Government would do all it can to ensure that the economic activities at Calle Real continue even with the transfer of City Hall to another location.
The mayor is embarking on a project intended to restore Calle Real to its former glory. The restoration project started last year with an inventory of existing buildings and stores at the district.
The central district encompasses the downtown commercial streets of JM Basa, Iznart, Aldeguer, and Guanco known collectively as the old Chinatown, as well as the side streets of Solis and Arsenal.
The World Bank-funded cities development initiative in Asia (CDIA) is helping in the restoration.
Chung said City Hall's presence in Calle Real has contributed to the increase in the socio-economic activities at the district and transferring the building to Mandurriao will discourage small entrepreneurs from setting up business in the area and decrease store clients who are there to transact business with the City Government.
Megaworld, meanwhile, hiked the price of the land it has offered to the City Government for the new City Hall.
It has hiked the cost of the land from P3,000 to P3,500 per square meter or a total of P16,086,000 from its former offer of only around P11 million for 4,596 square meters.
A letter offer dated October 20, 2008 from Antonio T. Tan, Megaworld official, was thrown back to the City Council for approval, and Mayor Treñas gave the body two weeks to study the proposal and decide on what is most beneficial to the city.
Treñas admitted there are diverse opinions at the City Council, with at least two councilors proposing that the new City Hall building be constructed at its old site fronting Plaza Libertad.
He said every opinion is respected but that the council will come up with a stand based on the decision of the majority.
An ad hoc committee formed to evaluate the Megaworld offer met at the mayor's office to decide what best course of action to take.
The Megaworld property is being developed into the Iloilo Business Park and hotel facilities, offices, centers, and retail and commercial centers will be put up in the area.
The 54.4-hectare Megaworld property covers saleable lot area of 34.5 hectares; reserved access lot of 4,106 square meters; subdivisions, utilities, and facilities of 2.7 hectares; greens covering 7,434 square meters; and roads totaling 15.9 hectares.
Megaworld said its prime location, development potential, proximity to business locators, and easy access are just a few of the advantages that the city may derive from its use and development of the property.
Treñas said Megaworld informed him it will soon develop its 54-hectare property at the old airport site. With or without City Hall, Megaworld will start development with a pre-bidding process for the proposed infrastructure this month.
