City to launch SRP today

CEBU, Philippines - After seemingly endless controversies, the Cebu City government will officially launch today the 295-hectare South Road Properties, the so-called “baby” of Mayor Tomas Osmeña.

The “grand” launching will be held at the beach front near the 10-hectare property purchased by Filinvest Land Inc., the first company to invest at the SRP.

Activities leading to the grand launch will begin at 8 a.m. with sports activities such as soccer, flag football, softball, and boxing while a barbeque cookout and a showcase of mixed martial arts will be featured in the evening. A grand fireworks display, which will aim for a Guinness Word Record, will cap the night.

Popular bands Stagecrew and Spongecola and veteran impersonator Willie Nepumuceno are also expected to grace the event.

The city has also decided to temporarily open the tunnel which connects the SRP to Plaza Independencia for 24 hours.

SRP manager Nagiel Banacia said personnel from the police, marines reserve battalion, City Traffic Operations Management, and Barangay Intelligence Network will secure the area throughout the day. Members of the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation will also be on standby in cases of medical emergency.

“We plan to make this as an annual celebration dubbed as “Cebu Fest.” The aim is to provide the city residents the sense of ownership in this multi billion project of the city,” Banacia said.

SRP was created in the early part of 1990s with funds from the P3-billion load the city had taken from the Overseas Economic Development Fund, now the Japan Bank for International Cooperation. — THE FREEMAN