Rama wants politics-free SRP

By Princess Dawn H. Felicitas

Saturday, September 17, 2011

CEBU City Mayor Michael Rama will pursue the creation of a special body that will manage the 300-hectare South Road Properties (SRP) despite the criticisms of his predecessor Rep. Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City, south district).

Unlike his earlier statement, Rama said he will form the special body through an executive order and not through an ordinance, which still has to go through the scrutiny of the legislative body.

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“The special body will be like an adhoc committee that will be created through an executive order and I will give the council a copy of it,” he said.

As in his previous statements, Rama said the SRP should not be under the whims of one politician, as the City is investing billions of taxpayers’ money into the property.

The mayor believes that the special body will insulate the SRP from politics and keep it from becoming a milking cow.

“Kinahanglan ang SRP di kontrolahon sa usa ka tawo kay we are talking of billions diha. Ang atong huna-huna is ang pag-protektar niana kay after pila ka years pa na maimpas (The SRP must not be controlled by one man because we are talking about billions there. We must think of protecting the property because it will still take years to pay off the loan),” he said.

In 1995, the Japan International Cooperating Agency, formerly known as the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, lent the City 12.315 billion yen to implement the South Reclamation Project, which is now the SRP. The loan is payable in 30 years, ending in 2025.

Also, Rama said the special body will be created to craft a master plan for the 300-hectare property.

At present, Rama said the SRP’s master plan is only in the mind of one man, apparently referring to Osmeña. The SRP was a pet project of the congressman when he was mayor.

Osmeña, however, maintains the SRP has a master plan, saying it was a requirement in the City’s loan application for the implementation of the SRP.

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on September 17, 2011.