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Wednesday, June 06, 2007
City Hall set to block school building work
By Linette C. Ramos & Minerva B. Gerodias
With Rene H. Martel
CEBU CITY -- Unless Lahug barangay officials comply with the permits, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña will not allow Barangay Captain Mary Ann de los Santos to construct the school building.
The City Council, however, has decided to step in and verify if there’s an urgent need for classrooms in Lahug, after one school building was demolished to make way for the construction of a new one.
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Vice Mayor Michael Rama said they invited the mayor’s education consultant, Joy Augustus Young, and other members of the Local School Board to their caucus Wednesday to brief the council on why the construction of the school building was suspended.
“If it’s just politics, I’m not in the mood for that because the elections are over already. If it’s urgent, we will sit down with the mayor and discuss other possibilities,” Rama told Sun.Star Cebu.
Given a P5-million pledge of donation from the Cebu Provincial Government, Lahug barangay officials might have to work on a new design for the school building for its elementary school.
Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez Jr. and Provincial Engineer Eulogio Pelayre offered their technical support to redesign the school project, with Sanchez saying that P5 million is already enough for about 12 classrooms.
“Actually, P15 million (the initial quotation from City Hall) is quite high for a 20-classroom building,” said Sanchez, a civil engineer.
Capitol’s help
De los Santos and her council met with Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and Sanchez Tuesday morning to hand in their resolution asking for the donation, after an emergency session.
Garcia turned it over to Provincial Budget Officer Emme Hingoyon, instructing him to process it immediately.
Garcia, Sanchez, and members of the Provincial Board are scheduled to turn over the P5-million check to de los Santos this Friday.
But in his news conference Tuesday, Osmeña reminded de los Santos to follow all procedures in constructing school buildings and soliciting funds for it.
Under anti-graft laws, he said, a public official cannot easily solicit from private institutions and individuals without permits from the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
“They cannot just take over the construction. As of now, they can’t build anything without the approval of the City Government,” he said Tuesday.
Osmeña, however, said he will approve the building permit and other clearances if the requirements are submitted.
Target
De los Santos, for her part, said they will observe the rules and requirements in constructing the building, but said the mayor should not make it extra difficult for the school just to spite her.
“Now that I have the money (to construct the school), he will make it difficult for me? Naunsa na man na siya? Definitely, we will go on with the construction of the building,” she said when told about the mayor’s warning.
“I’m asking him to give me the plan. Wala man. We are requesting for a permit, we’re not constructing something illegal. I’m confident we can hit the targeted amount,” de los Santos continued.
On top of his condition that Lahug barangay officials will have to put in writing any request for projects and subsidy, he also asked de los Santos to “stop lying” to her constituents.
Angered by de los Santos’s statements that he did not give Lahug any project, the mayor postponed the construction of the school building to 2008.
The classrooms, a bridge and the asphalting of roads are just some of his projects in the barangay, he pointed out.
Stunt?
Osmeña welcomed Governor Garcia’s P5-million donation for the construction of the school building, saying he will accept it regardless of her motives.
“Whatever the reason is, if it’s out of spite or her love for me, we’ll take the money. The Province can give Lahug anything it wants, that’s acceptable under the Local Government Code. But the manner by which the construction is done must be approved by the City Government, whoever will build it and who implements it,” said the mayor.
A groundbreaking ceremony has been scheduled this Friday.
“They’re just doing this as a publicity stunt but they can’t start anything without following proper procedures and getting the required permits in soliciting funds because it’s under public interest that there’s accountability and transparency,” Osmeña continued.
In a phone interview, Young said that de los Santos will have to secure a building permit and other clearances from the Office of the Building Official if the barangay intends to implement the project.
He said, though, that he will turn over to de los Santos Wednesday the program of works and estimates for the proposed school building, so the barangay will not have to draft another program of works.
But if the barangay intends to use another design and hire another contractor, it will have to work on the necessary documents before starting the project.
De los Santos said they are checking if it is legally possible to redesign the project, with the coordination of the Department of Education.
“Regardless of territorial jurisdiction, we are all Cebuanos and we will, because we can, take care of our own,” the governor said at their meeting.
De los Santos also revealed that there are others who have pledged support for her “Piso Mo, Eskwelahan Ko” fund-raising drive for the school.
They will have the project registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission so they can open a bank account where donors can deposit their donations. (Sun.Star Cebu)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Bacolod. (June 6, 2007 issue)
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