Pedro templete site still OK for 2016 congress

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has spoken to Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma yesterday morning to assure the prelate that the vicinity of the San Pedro Calungsod shrine at the South Road Properties (SRP) will still be made available as a venue for the 2016 International Eucharistic Congress.

Rama said he did not want Palma to worry about news reports that SM Prime Holdings has expressed interest in buying the 26.3 hectare property known as lot 8-B of the SRP.

Pope Francis is slated to attend the 2016 event.

Even then, Rama cannot hide his elation over the plan of SM Prime Holding as chances for the city government to raise revenues for projects like flood control has increased.

“Thanks God naa nay interested sa SRP,” Rama said during his press conference.

Lawyer Jose Daluz III, Rama’s executive assistant, said they already wrote the Commission on Audit on August 2 to seek approval on the P22,000 per square meter floor price being recommended by the city’s awards committee.

If Rama were to have his way, he wanted lot 8-B to be sold starting at a floor price of P50,000 per square meter.

“But it is the Commission on Audit that will determine the floor price,” Daluz said.

Daluz said the city government has to make new sales of the SRP to fund part of Rama’s proposed 2014 budget of P10.5 billion.

The city government last sold a parcel of the SRP to SM in 2009 at P9,000 per square meters.  SM is now developing said lot for the establishment of a mall and a commercial complex.

Daluz said the city government now needed to earn funds to for the city’s plan to build a new hospital, implement drainage and river improvement projects and for the cash assistance to senior citizens which the mayor wanted increased to P12,000 next year.

He added that members of the awards committee are now preparing the terms of reference on the planned disposal of lot 8-B for submission to the city council next month. Once approved, bidding could already start on January 2014.