THERE will be a public consultation on the proposed City Hall transfer if only to ensure adequate public discourse that may produce viable inputs on the issue, Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ said today.
“Of course, we will hold a public consultation on this issue. We will give the people a chance to voice their sentiments and we may even receive some valuable inputs on the proposed City Hall transfer. It is after all part of my administration’s commitment to participatory governance, for the people to be heard and listened to,” Mayor Uy said in Visayan.
During his Friday radio program, Mayor Uy said both the Bureau of Soils and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) should look into the land conditions of the old landfill area that is reportedly being considered as a potential site for City Hall.
“As far as we can see, there’s no natural land there, mostly leftover garbage that had yet to be disposed of,” Mayor Uy said in Visayan.
Due to the presence of uncollected garbage, Mayor Uy said it’s still unsafe to build anything in the old landfill area.
“We have to consult the DENR and the Bureau of Soils to see (If it’s safe there). For me, if there are other areas that are as close to or nearer to the center of the city, then why not (consider it)?,” Mayor Uy said in Visayan.
Discussion on the City Hall transfer surfaced following a special report by Councilor Edgar Cabanlas who cited complaints from taxpayers and business owners on their difficulties in finding adequate parking space for their vehicles during the ongoing business registration and renewal of permits.
About 30,000 businesses were projected to register/renew their permits for this period.
In order to accommodate them, the City Treasurer’s Office set up extension offices in barangay halls and even the SM Uptown mall for faster processing.
Mayor Uy even extended the deadline for registration and renewal of permits to February 28.
“(I’ve lived in Barangay Carmen for 47 years now) and I remember there were few vehicles back then. At the time, the current location of City Hall was adequate,” Mayor Uy said in Visayan.
Now that Cagayan de Oro City’s population and economic growth had grown, so did the necessity for City Hall to move to a better location, Mayor Uy said.
The mayor also confirmed that should the City Hall transfer proceed, the old Executive Building will be preserved. As far as the newer buildings are concerned, Mayor Uy said he is open to options.
“The old Executive building is rich in historical value and was built with the legacies of former mayors of the city. We won’t demolish it, we will preserve it…on whether the City College will be built somewhere on the City Hall grounds, why not? I’m open to any developments that can be beneficial to the people of Cagayan de Oro. If there’s a business that can be set up there that can draw tourism and produce revenues for the city, why not,” Mayor Uy said in Visayan. (Stephen Capillas of City Information Office)
