CH allowed free use of ex-KTV bar

CEBU, Philippines —  After being questioned for being “too much,” Cebu City Hall’s lease of a former KTV bar building in Barangay Kasambagan to house battered women and abandoned children for a monthly rental of P500,000 will now come free of charge for the city.

City Councilor Raymond Garcia revealed the development in a special session yesterday.

“The latest information that I received from both the lessor (Alpha Estate) and the city government (is) the lessor is not any more inclined to have it leased,” said Garcia.

More or less 30 battered wives and abandoned children are currently housed in the building which is now called the Sta. Rita Cascia Women’s and Children’s Center.

The lessor is reportedly no longer interested in charging rent for the agreed period of September to December.

“Since we already have about 30 more abandoned women and abandoned children in that area, she (lessor) would just let the City of Cebu use it for free, until the end of this month,” Garcia said.

Garcia was earlier asked to sponsor a resolution requesting authority for Labella to sign the contract of lease with Alpha Estate upon the request of the City’s Accredited Social Amelioration Program Board chairman Junine Aragones.

The contract of lease indicated that the lease would run from September 1 to December 31, 2020 for the 1,200 square meters of property, which is fully furnished.

While the contract covers only four months, it also states that the lease will have an “escalation of 10% every year.”

Even as Mayor Edgardo Labella had not yet been authorized to sign the contract, it has already been occupied  since September. In fact, it was formally inaugurated last September 18.

Labella denied having seen a copy of the contract and agreed with The FREEMAN’s report that the rental was way expensive and that he was not inclined to signing it.

Options

Vice Mayor Michael Rama had also noted that he learned from the Office of the Building Official (OBO) that the building does not have a building permit and permit to occupy.

During the session, Councilor Leah Japson pointed out that the City Social Welfare Services may coordinate with the Department of Social Welfare for the transfer of the battered wives and children.

Rama also suggested as possible relocation site the DPWH project at the North Reclamation Area which was supposed to house medical frontliners but has not been used until now.

Another option is the Cebu City Quarantine Center, which is also not being used.

“Be reminded that we have the North Reclamation now, the one with DPWH. Too many available rooms in that area, air-conditioned pa,” said Rama. — JMD (FREEMAN)