Do not make "big mistake"

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young warned the partner developer of the Capitol in its controversial Ciudad project not to make a “big mistake.”

Young issued the warning yesterday after Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia was quoted in newspaper reports to have ordered the developer to proceed with the project and complete it within a year.

“My message is not for the Capitol or for Mayor Mike Rama but to the Fifth Avenue (developer). Don’t make the biggest mistake,” Young said.

According to Young, there is an existing moratorium of developments in the Banilad-Talamban corridors because of the traffic situation in the area.

He said the moratorium has not been lifted by the Cebu City Council.

Young said he knows that the officials of Fifth Avenue Property Corp. has already spent P150 million for the project.

However, he cautioned them not to put in additional amount because they will be having a hard time “in the near future.”

Young said, should the developer insist, he only has two words for them, “Bahala sila.”

The developer earlier submitted a traffic management plan to the city government to address concerns of its effect to the traffic situation in the area.

Part of the traffic management plan is the opening of road network inside the Ciudad project to serve as access to and from the IT Park.

The Capitol and Fifth Avenue’s joint venture has been stalled because of the political differences between Garcia and South District Rep. Tomas Osmeña.

The Ciudad project which is proposed to be built on the old site of the Cebu International School is believed to have been affected by the collapse of the land-swapping deal between the Capitol and the city government. (FREEMAN)