Bacolod City officials will seek an audience with the owners of the dumpsite in Brgy. Felisa, Bacolod City, to ask for an extension of their deadline for its closure once they have collated all the documents on the property, Acting Mayor Jude Thaddeus said yesterday.

Landowner Ester Lopez of the Dynasty Agricultural Corp. wrote the city demanding payment for their property within 30 days from receipt of their letter or they will be constrained to close it down.

The deadline for the dumpsite closure is supposed to be on March 22, Sayson said.

Lopez had demanded compensation of P600 per square meter or a total of about P42 million for their property that has been utilized by the city as a dumpsite for free for years.

Sayson said the city started to dump garbage in Brgy. Felisa in 2004, when there was a demand to close the dumpsite in Brgy. Mandalagan.

 Sayson was designated acting mayor starting yesterday by Mayor Evelio Leonardia, who left for the United States  to watch  the rematch between Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao and Mexican champion Juan  Manuel Marquez on March 15 (March 16 in the Philippines).

Councilor Greg Gasataya has been designated acting Vice Mayor by Sayson.

Gasataya, chairperson of the Clean and Green Monitoring Team, said the Appraisal Team met yesterday and decided to collate all the documents concerning the property owned by the Lopez family in order to start its evaluation.

The committee will also need other documents like land titles and the exact location of the property to determine the value of the property, he said.

“We assure the public that whatever decision we make will be above board and legal and that whatever the outcome, the city will ensure that the garbage collection will not be affected,” Gasataya said.*CGS

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