The proposed deadline for the city to accept offers for the site of a new City Hall is on January 21, Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said yesterday.

However, Leonardia said he requested City Administrator Lorendo Dilag to meet and inform the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod members about this. He said the city must have a deadline for accepting offers because it cannot continue to entertain or wait for offers to come, or else the plan to have a new city hall will not go anywhere.

"A deadline has to be set and it should be re-established that we really want a new city hall so we will have a direction and get the proper perspective of the whole project," Leonardia said. As soon the SP has confirmed and re-confirmed that it wants a new city hall, it has to make a decision, he said. If there are some who may have a different direction or interpretation, the worst that could happen is there will be a standstill, he added.

OUTMODED

Leonardia said he hopes to get the cooperation of the SP, because the earlier the city gets a new city hall, the less expensive it will be, and the faster and more efficiently they can serve the people of Bacolod. He said the present City Hall is definitely outmoded and it has not kept in step with the needs and the demands of the people of Bacolod. The people deserve a city hall that is in tune with their level of sophistication and demands, he also said.

Leonardia said one factor to consider is that many other local government units already have new government centers and Bacolod deserves a new house to really answer the existing and future needs and demands of the society.

FIVE CITY HALL VENUES

"Besides", he said, "the present City Hall is scattered and has five venues - the City Engineer's Office in Brgy. Taculing, the City Health and several other offices are at BBB-Galo Street, the General Services Office is at the Plaza Mart, the Tourism Office is near the Bay's Center, and the Accounting Office is at the Limman's Center across City Hall.

We would like to have a one-stop-shop because our people should not waste time and money by having to go from part of the city to another while getting served by our officials and employees," he said.

ROLE OF SP

Aside from the offers of the Bacolod Convention Plaza Hotel and Maybank, the city has also received other offers, Leonardia said.

"I will respect whatever is the decision of our officials later because the role of the SP is indicated in the Local Government Code," he said. And, although he has his own personal preference, he will make himself flexible for the sake of having the project realized, Leonardia further said.*CGS

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