‘Osmeña’s inaction cost 100,000 jobs’

“THIS mayor is too preoccupied with getting credit. Cebu City is not Mayor (Tomas) Osmeña. Cebu is for the Cebuanos.”

So said opposition Councilor Joel Garganera after he urged the mayor to stop sitting on the approval of the development permits of a consortium of big commercial developers in the South Road Properties (SRP).

In an interview, the councilor said that the consortium would open 100,000 jobs, 20 times more than the proposed P18-billion Kawit Island project in the SRP can offer.

“We’re so focused on the 5,000 jobs generated by the so-called P18-billion Kawit project and even the mayor is daring us to make our counter-proposal for Kawit Island, but he’s been sitting for more than two years already. The consortium of Ayala and SM, that could generate 100,000 jobs,” Garganera said.

The City Government awarded the lot to the consortium of Ayala Land Inc., SM Prime Holdings Inc. and Filinvest Land Inc. on July 21, 2015. The deal was closed for P16.76 billion. Of the 45.2-hectare lot subjected for bidding, 26 hectares were bought by the consortium of Ayala and SM, while 19.2 hectares were bought by Filinvest Land Inc. (FLI).

Last May 2016, before assuming office, Osmeña called the transaction “questionable” and announced that he will revoke the sale of the property.

In February 2017, FLI rescinded its purchase, saying the local government has failed to fulfill its obligations under the sale contract.

Osmeña posed no objection, with a plan to return the P4.5 billion paid by the real estate firm.

But for Garganera, this only “deprived” the city of opportunities.

“(The consortium’s) developmental plan has been up for mayor’s signature since June 2016. The proposed sports facility may have materialized na. Mahuman nalang ang iyang term, puros ra na iyaha projection on future plans. Dako kaayo iyang sala diha sa mga Sugbuanon kay daghan unta kaayo og ma-employed. Tabang pud unta na sa atong mga giatubang na problema sama sa baha, trapiko ug basura,” Garganera said. RTF

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