MORE public hearings are needed to be conducted on the disposal of the Manokan Country property proposed by Bacolod City Mayor Monico Puentevella, Councilor Caesar Distrito said. Distrito spearheaded the conduct of a public hearing Monday where stakeholders and the mayor's representatives Executive Assistant Sarah Esguerra, City Legal Officer Aireen Bonghanoy and Acting City Administrator Jerome Solinap attended to defend the proposal. Distrito, who chairs the committee on government assets, said that four City Council committees, including laws, ordinances and good government chaired by Councilor Ana Marie Palermo; urban, poor housing and resettlement headed by Councilor El Cid Familiaran; and committee on markets and slaughterhouse led by Councilor Carlos Jose Lopez conducted the hearing. They discussed the arrears of the Manokan Country tenants, the stand of the Social Action Center that is against the selling of the property, and how many informal settlers will be affected should the disposal of the property pushes through. “We have not reached the meat of the matter, thus we want to conduct succeeding hearings so that we can really determine if the disposal is proper, the price of the lot per square meter is just and equitable as appraised by the Appraisal Committee and also how they will follow to the letter the process which was provided under the law,” Distrito said. He added: "We also discussed the 15-year contract of the City Government and the Lion's Park. Can the city dispose the property with the existence of a contract with the Lion’s Park lessee?" Puentevella has proposed to dispose the property located at the corners of Rizal Street, Road Lot 4, Burgos Street, Reclamation Area where the Manokan Country is situated. In his letter-request to the City Council dated October 13, 2014, Puentevella said he received an unsolicited proposal from SM Prime Holdings Inc. offering to purchase the lot with an area of 17,783 square meters, purposely for developing the property into an integrated shopping complex with transport terminal, a hotel, and an improved Manokan Country. SM Prime offered to buy the property in an unsolicitated price of P20,500 per square meter. However, the City Appraisal Committee said their assessment of the value of the property based on its highest and best use is P21,200 per square meter. By CARLA N. CANET
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