Robinsons eyes dev’t of Paglaum
BY CARLA GOMEZ
Robinsons Land Corp. has expressed interest in developing the Negros Occidental provincial government-owned property at the Paglaum Sports Complex in Bacolod City, Gov. Alfredo Maraņon Jr. said yesterday.
The governor said the provincial government instead of developing the area itself is now opting to invite private developers to join a bidding to lease and develop the area.
The bidding will be open to all developers with track records, he said.
The Paglaum Sports Complex covers four hectares, and up for lease would be less than two hectares of the property along Lacson and Hernaez streets, he said.
The football field would be moved closer to the sports stadium area, which will not be up for lease, he added.
The governor had earlier said the provincial government would construct a three-storey building to house commercial establishments, a call center and a dormitory along Lacson-Hernaez streets with a bank loan.
Meanwhile, the governor maintained that when the provincial government awarded its 7.7 hectare property near the Capitol in Bacolod City for lease to AyalaLand Inc., it was acting in the best interest of the people of Negros.
SM Prime Holdings Inc. has insisted that it should have been the winning bidder of the property and has taken the governor and other provincial government officials to court.
The governor said as of yesterday he has not received an official copy of a Court of Appeals-issued Temporary Restraining Order sought by SMPHI reportedly stopping him from proceeding with the sale and lease of the property to AyalaLand.
The governor said, contrary to the claims of some Manila columnists taking the side of SMPHI, there was no abuse of authority in awarding the lease and sale of the property to AyalaLand, which was done in a transparent matter.
Delaying the Capitol from proceeding with the sale and lease will delay the delivery of much needed social services to the poor to be funded from its earnings from the 7.7-hectare property, he said.
There is an overwhelming support from the people of Negros for the Capitol’s project with AyalaLand, to delay it would only incur their ire which he hopes will not lead to a boycott of SM, he added.
The fight to stop the project is not against me but against the people of Negros Occidental and Bacolod City, he said.
SMHI did not win the bidding, it self-proclaimed itself the winner, he added.
AyalaLand is set to present it development plan for the 7.7 hectare property to the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and the business community at the Capitol tomorrow.*CPG
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