Manila City gov’t not giving up on Met just yet

Despite the recent sale of the Manila Metropolitan Theater to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the Manila City government insists it still has a say in the restoration and operation of the the iconic structure.

City officials are keen on setting a meeting with the NCCA in the coming weeks to discuss a 2004 agreement which gave the city government the right to use the theater for 25 years.

“Our understanding is, even if ownership of the Met changes, Manila will still have the right to operate the Met,” said Donna Gasgonia, Mayor Joseph Estrada’s senior executive assistant, in an interview.

The tripartite usufruct agreement was signed by Manila, NCCA and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), the owners of the Met before its sale to the NCCA was sealed for P270 million last week.

It specifically granted the city government the right to use the Met “exclusively for cultural and arts purposes” as long as it commits to restore and conserve the property during the 25-year period.

While the 10-page agreement specifically laid out the rights, duties and limitations of the city government in using the property, it was unclear on how a sale of the Met would affect the usufruct (the legal right to use and enjoy the profits of someone else’s property) agreement. But Gasgonia believes that the sale of the Met from the GSIS to the NCCA will not affect it.

“The transfer of ownership of the Met from the GSIS to the NCCA does not invalidate the tripartite agreement. We believe it still remains in force; the only difference is that there has been a consolidation in ownership and that one party (GSIS) is no longer active,” she said.

On Wednesday, the GSIS finalized the sale of the 84-year-old Met to the NCCA by signing the deed of absolute sale and turning over the land titles covering the 7,533-square meter property.