The decision of the city’s Public-Private Partnership for the People (P4) Selection Committee to grant the Original Proponent Status (OPS) to Robinsons Land Corporation for the multi-billion development of the public market will still undergo a careful study.
Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong said he has not yet formally acted on the recommendation of the P4 Selection Committee to grant the required OPS to Robinsons as the city government is careful in approving projects under the PPP scheme since any action will set a precedent for other projects in the future.
He added that the city government has other major infrastructure projects under the PPP scheme, thus, concerned offices are careful in evaluating unsolicited proposals for the realization of the lined-up projects geared towards improving the status of the city.
The city chief executive pointed out it is the City Mayor who has the final say on proposals screened by the P4 Selection Committee which means that the grant of the OPS to a mall developer is not yet final.
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Earlier, City Administrator Bonifacio dela Peña claimed the P4 Selection Committee’s recommendation for the pre-qualification of Robinsons proposal does not mean the proposed multi-billion market development project has been awarded to the said corporation as the terms may still be negotiated before reaching a final agreement on the final terms of reference for the project.
He stated all the pertinent documents on the P4 Selection Committee’s deliberation on the proposals of Robinsons and SM Prime Holdings were transmitted to the City Mayor’s Office for action by the mayor.
Robinsons proposed to undertake the city’s market development project with the construction of two commercial structures, one building to be managed by the local government and another to be used by the corporation for its mixed-use requirements. It will spend some P6.4 billion for the proposed structures that will occupy some 4.5 hectares of the market area and will be completed in 4and a half years.
On the other hand, SM Prime Holdings proposed to build a single 7-storey structure worth approximately P5.4 billion where the first two floors will be owned and managed by the local government while the 2-floor basement parking and the 3 remaining upper floors will be managed by the corporation. The proposed structure will be constructed within the 3-hectare public market area in a span of 2 and a half years aside from building P200 million structure within the slaughterhouse compound area to serve as a temporary relocation site for the market vendors who will be displaced in the implementation of the project which shall be later turned over to the city.
The third proponent for the city’s market development is the consortium of market vendors cooperatives but the same was not allowed to be pre-qualified under the P4 rules and regulations because of the alleged lack of juridical personality from the regulating agency, thus, their proposal was returned unacted.
One of the present administration’s 15-point collective agenda is for the modernization of the city public market.
By Dexter A. See
Photo by Armando M. Bolislis
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