Rama mulls condo in Kamagayan

CEBU, Philippines – Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama is planning to make use of the 7,281-square meter property in Kamagayan, where the citi center commercial complex stands, as a housing site.

Rama, who visited the place Wednesday, said he would prefer to see a village to rise soon in the area to change the ambiance of the place from being known as the center of illegal drug trade and prostitution to a place ideal for living.

"I want a development plan produced or a master plan for the area with the end view of changing the ambiance or landscape of the place providing dignity to where it is needed," Rama said.

Although he does not expect to see the result immediately but Rama promised to take the first step. The Mayor said he will issue an Executive Order to assign people to focus on creating the master plan or the detailed engineering of the project.

Rama intends to seek the assistance of the national government through the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council headed by Vice President Jejomar Binay to ensure that the project is materialized.

He wants the national government to shoulder the development while the city will provide the lot as its equity investment.

"I am envisioning a beautiful condominium there, with playground and so on. It would be a community with a different ambiance," Rama said.

It might be patterned before a housing project that is soon to be developed in what at present is a cemetery in Barangay Lorega-San Miguel, a project funded by the Priority Development Assistance Fund of former congressman Raul del Mar and the Action for Nurturing Children and Environment.

The project will be jointly undertaken by Gawad Kalinga and the city government.

Rama said that the city's legitimate urban poor might have a great chance to benefit from the housing project.

There are more than 100 families occupying the lot illegally. This excludes the business establishments renting their spaces.

Rama said he will soon order the demolition of the citi center building and have the area fenced to prevent more encroachment. (FREEMAN)