Bacolod City Administrator Lorendo Dilag yesterday said Mayor Evelio Leonardia has requested for an executive-legislative caucus on February 14 to discuss the plan to construct a new city hall.

Dilag said the city has received 17 offers which include the donation of a 5-hectare lot in Brgy. Mansilingan by former Bacolod Councilor Juan Ramon Guanzon.

The Sangguniang Panlungsod has set the final deadline for all offers for a new city hall site for Bacolod City on Feb. 13, and a public hearing on the offers on Feb. 17.

Dilag said he had written to four government banks two months ago inquiring if they could extend a loan to the city for purposes of constructing a new city hall. He said Land Bank of the Philippines informed him that it could extend a loan of P800 million, although the city only needs about P400 million. The Philippine National Bank, Development Bank and Veterans Bank also expressed willingness to extend a loan to the city, he added.

Dilag said he believes there is no need to sell the present site which has become a land mark for Bacolod. "We need not give up the present city hall because, while we may be constructing a new government center somewhere else, we can retain the present site to be used as offices to service our people," he said.

Meanwhile, Dilag said the members of the SP met Tuesday to discuss the request of the market vendors for the condonation of the interests and penalties of their business permits.

If this is approved, the computation will start in 2002 because this is when the city started its computerization program, he said. Before the computerization, the city had no records.*CGS

back to top