Joint venture between CFI and city: Taboan Market dev’t proposed

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu CFI Community Cooperative, led by Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia’s uncle Atty. Winston Garcia, has submitted an unsolicited proposal for a joint venture agreement with the Cebu City government for the re-development of the Taboan Public Market.

The proposal was submitted during a recent meeting by the City Hall’s Task Force Pabahay, as confirmed by City Councilor Jerry Guardo to The Freeman.

Guardo said the Taboan Public Market, which is mainly known for “pasalubong,” particularly local delicacies and a variety of dried fishes or “buwad,” is under-utilized.

 CFI proposed a mixed-use project for Taboan’s re-development that includes a commercial area and a housing facility.

 “Under sa ilang proposal, naa gihapon ang market and housing component for the 4PH program,” Guardo said.

The councilor, who heads the City Council’s committee on infrastructure and overseer of the housing and other infrastructure projects of the city, said the market structure sits on a lot whose utility is not maximized.

 “Ang naas ground floor, kasagaran, mga buwaran lang...and that’s a one-hectare property,” he said.

 Once re-developed, Guardo said, the area would have a commercial complex “but without taking away the ‘buwaran.’”

He said that as proposed by CFI, there would also be “vertical development” since the proposal includes a residential component.

 “The intention is to house informal settlers that might be affected, especially diri sa coastal area, kay naa man guy proposed road opening from Miller (Hospital) to Ludo (and Luym). Daghan kaayo’g balay ma-displaced,” said Guardo.

He said that to be able to implement the road project, the city government needs to find a relocation site for those who would be displaced.

 “Wala namiy nakitang laing ka-relocate-tan nila. That’s the nearest property nga we can provide for them… Implementation of the project cannot be done without (a) relocation that is acceptable to them,” Guardo said.

 He said CFI’s proposal had been endorsed to the City’s Joint Venture Selection Committee.

 “It’s now up the Joint Venture Selection Committee…. Naa man nay mga guidelines sila, qualification, technical and financial,” Guardo said.

He said that as to CFI’s qualification, it has already made several such projects and already has a credit line of P5 billion for the project.

 “Naa naman silay track record, naa na silay daghan projects,” Guardo said.

Atty. Ronald Anthony Librando, Cebu City Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor executive director, said via the City’s Public Information Office that they are endorsing such proposal to the City’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) unit.

 "Kay naa man gud tay bag-ong balaod gud nga ang tanang PPP undertaking…government ug private, moagi gyud og Public-Private Partnership Unit," he said.

 Years ago, CFI also tried to get the City’s nod for a joint venture on the redevelopment of the Carbon Public Market but lost to Cebu2World Development, Inc.

 Meanwhile, San Nicolas Proper Brgy. Captain Clifford Ninal told The Freeman in a separate interview that a representative from CFI already surveyed the area a few months back.

He said, though, that prior to that, then mayor Michael Rama already had a plan for Taboan’s re-development that the Barangay Council already approved.

The plan, he added, was also designed for a mixed-used project that likewise included commercial and residential areas.(CEBU NEWS)