While renovation is ongoing, City Hall needs P6M to rent space for offices

The Cebu City government will set aside P6 million representing the estimated cost of the office space rental for the various offices in the old City Hall building that would be affected by its impending renovation.

City administrator Francisco "Bimbo" Fernandez said that in the initial plan Mayor Tomas Osmeña had in principle agreed to earmark P6 million for this purpose from the months of September to December this year.

On the other hand, councilor Nestor Archival said the city is eyeing to lease the Aboitiz building along Osmeña boulevard, Yutivo and Sons building near City Hall or the former MCWD office which is now undergoing rehabilitation works.

Although the rental of office space or building has yet to be bid out, Archival said their priority would have been the former MCWD office but they are constrained by the relatively higher rental cost, which is P400 per square meter on the ground floor and P300 per square meter on the second floor. The city is planning to rent a total 3,000-square-meter office space to where its displaced employees shall be temporarily housed.

Nevertheless, Fernandez said they are planning to lease MCWD building as temporary office of the vice mayor, city councilors and their staffs while employees of affected City Hall offices are to be housed in Yutivo and Sons building.

In addition, he said the P6 million cost estimate for the office rental could either be higher or lower considering that the city has yet to finalize its plans in relation to the renovation of the legislative building.

The University of San Carlos-Institute of Planning and Design for creating also has yet to present to the city its modified building proposal, the one that already incorporates the suggestions of the mayor.

The city government has contracted the USC-IPD to do the technical studies and plan preparations for the renovation of the legislative building estimated to cost P65 million, as budgeted under the city's 2004 annual budget.

In return, the city government granted P2.1-million financial assistance to USC-IPD sometime in the middle of last year.

Further, Fernandez said there will be a number of City Hall offices or departments that will no longer retain their respective offices once the renovation is done, such as the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor, Office of the Building Officials, Association of Barangay Councils, Liquor Licensing Division and the Philippine Postal Corporation.

Fernandez said these offices or departments may attach with other City Hall offices at the annex building that has the same nature of functions or services with theirs, or be relocated to La Gotiaoco building located along M.C. Briones which the city plans to acquire or to somewhere else.

However, Fernandez said they had already ordered the Philippine Postal Corporation to move out from City Hall by September, when the renovation of the old building starts.

Fernandez said it is no longer necessary to have a postal office at City Hall because the Philippine Postal Office building is just near City Hall and the city can deliver its mails there faster through city-leased multicabs.

The officials of the Philippine Postal Office had written Fernandez a letter requesting for reconsideration on the city's order "so that the public access to an effective and efficient postal services will not be unduly hampered." - Cristina C. Birondo