A barangay official identified with former Cebu City mayor Alvin Garcia will serve as Mayor Michael Rama’s representative to the city’s barangays.
Rama said he tapped Punta Princesa barangay captain Jose Navarro to help in titling a government lot located beside City Hall that is now occupied by urban poor dwellers.
Navarro will also help form a cooperative bank for barangays and set up pubic mortuaries in the city. Navarro used to be a supporter of Garcia’s opposition group Kugi Uswag Sugbu.
“It should not be interpreted that way. We are tapping his services because he is now a senior citizen and he is willing to help so why would we not embrace him?” Rama said.
The mayor said Navarro won’t be employed as a City Hall consultant nor be paid honorarium for his voluntary services.
The government lot beside City Hall will soon house a permanent building for the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC).
“I want Navarro to connect directly with ABC president Michael Rallota on these matters,” Rama told reporters yesterday.
Rallota said the ABC is looking for a funding institution to help them build a five-story ABC building.
As a former ABC president and a banker by profession, Navarro has expertise to help in titling of the ABC lot and securing a funding institution, Rallota said.
Rallota said the Land Bank of the Philippines and the Philippine Veteran’s Bank expressed interest to fund the new ABC building.
Rallota, an architect, said they would need at least P20 million for the ABC building.
The ABC now holds office in a portion of the South Road Properties (SRP) located beside pond F that’s now being developed by FIlinvest Land Inc. Rallota said they wanted a permanent ABC building built for their use.
Part of the building would also be leased to commercial users for the association to earn revenues.
Rallota said he wanted the first three floors of the planned ABC building leased.
They could use the fourth floor for an ABC office and the fifth floor for their social area.