Tabuk City, Kalinga - This city has revived the plan to establish a grand central terminal which has been shelved for sometime appropriating P12M for the purchase of a five-hectare lot to host the facility in its first supplemental budget for the year.
Mayor Camilo Lammawin, Jr., justified the appropriation saying that it is expected that with the development of the city, the prices of land will soon soar.
The mayor, however, branded as disinformation published allegations that a lot has already been bought and that someone has made money in the transaction.
According to the mayor, the negotiations with the lot owners was put on hold because the latter had second thoughts due to the speculation that the price of land will go up soon.
"There are at least four landowners who made offers to the city but none of these have been acted upon," Lammawin said adding that all four lots are located between Dagupan and Bulanao, the two centers of the city.
He also refuted published allegations that at P12M, the lot is grossly overpriced pointing out that a lot in Magsaysay, this city, which is less than a hectare was recently sold at P12M.
Regarding speculations that the city is about to borrow P300M for the project, Lammawin said that that option of funding the project has not crossed the mind of the officials of the city.
"What we are negotiating with the Land Bank for is online credit which means that we do not have to wait for the quarterly allocation of the LGU to bid out products as the bank will advance the money. The advance payment will be according to the budget and with Sangguniang Panlungsod approval," Lammawin said.
The mayor said also that not only will the transport terminal designed to put order into the traffic in the town center but will also facilitate the marketing of products because it will also have an agro-product trading post.
"It will also help local businessmen as they could put up gasoline stations, restaurants and other facilities needed by travelers and businessmen. Putting a business cluster in the midst of the existing business centers of the city will have a metropolis effect merging them and creating more business opportunities," Lammawin said.
When the construction of the central terminal was first proposed in 2005, the business community here put up a stiff opposition to the immediate implementation of the plan alleging among other reasons that it will only worsen the dismal business climate in the then municipality.
In a public hearing held by the Sangguniang Bayan February 17, 2005, local businessmen said also that while it is true that centralizing the parking of public transport is a good idea, the town can still do without it at this point in time.
The businessmen said that instead of launching the project, the LGU could maximize available vacant spaces along the provincial road running through the town and also side streets as parking areas of public transport.
But their foremost concern was that with the then business slump in the locality, the sector cannot afford another business cluster which will naturally mushroom around the central terminal. **By Estanislao Albano, Jr., ZZW; 06/29/08
Mayor Camilo Lammawin, Jr., justified the appropriation saying that it is expected that with the development of the city, the prices of land will soon soar.
The mayor, however, branded as disinformation published allegations that a lot has already been bought and that someone has made money in the transaction.
According to the mayor, the negotiations with the lot owners was put on hold because the latter had second thoughts due to the speculation that the price of land will go up soon.
"There are at least four landowners who made offers to the city but none of these have been acted upon," Lammawin said adding that all four lots are located between Dagupan and Bulanao, the two centers of the city.
He also refuted published allegations that at P12M, the lot is grossly overpriced pointing out that a lot in Magsaysay, this city, which is less than a hectare was recently sold at P12M.
Regarding speculations that the city is about to borrow P300M for the project, Lammawin said that that option of funding the project has not crossed the mind of the officials of the city.
"What we are negotiating with the Land Bank for is online credit which means that we do not have to wait for the quarterly allocation of the LGU to bid out products as the bank will advance the money. The advance payment will be according to the budget and with Sangguniang Panlungsod approval," Lammawin said.
The mayor said also that not only will the transport terminal designed to put order into the traffic in the town center but will also facilitate the marketing of products because it will also have an agro-product trading post.
"It will also help local businessmen as they could put up gasoline stations, restaurants and other facilities needed by travelers and businessmen. Putting a business cluster in the midst of the existing business centers of the city will have a metropolis effect merging them and creating more business opportunities," Lammawin said.
When the construction of the central terminal was first proposed in 2005, the business community here put up a stiff opposition to the immediate implementation of the plan alleging among other reasons that it will only worsen the dismal business climate in the then municipality.
In a public hearing held by the Sangguniang Bayan February 17, 2005, local businessmen said also that while it is true that centralizing the parking of public transport is a good idea, the town can still do without it at this point in time.
The businessmen said that instead of launching the project, the LGU could maximize available vacant spaces along the provincial road running through the town and also side streets as parking areas of public transport.
But their foremost concern was that with the then business slump in the locality, the sector cannot afford another business cluster which will naturally mushroom around the central terminal. **By Estanislao Albano, Jr., ZZW; 06/29/08
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