Rama willing to give Customs a lot in SRP

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama is willing to give the Bureau of Customs a portion of the South Road Properties (SRP) in lieu of the Malacañang sa Sugbu, which the agency has been working to recover.

Rama said he has already directed Joel Marie Yu of the Cebu Investment Promotions Center (CIPC) to check what portion of the SRP can be donated to the BOC where it can construct a new building.

“So they can have relocation and we can have the Malacañang,” Rama said.

According to Rama, he is willing to donate an area as wide as their current office at the Cebu International Port.

“Or it might be a little bigger to give them parking space. It will be according to their building plan, if ever,” Rama added.

Rama said BOC will have to find its funds for the construction of the building.

If the BOC will refuse the offer since construction of a new building is costly, Rama said, they can only hold on the words of the President.

Rama thought of giving the BOC a space at the SRP after Cebu Customs district collector Ronnie Silvestre appealed to President Benigno Aquino III to return the Malacañang sa Sugbo to them.

The Malacañang sa Sugbo used to house the BOC offices in Cebu until it was taken by then president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in 2004. The establishment of the official residence of the president in Cebu was Arroyo’s expression of gratitude to the Cebuanos for giving her 2 million votes during the 2004 presidential elections.

Since Aquino is not using it as his official residence in Cebu, the BOC wanted to reclaim the building. Silvestre said their current building, which is owned by the Cebu Ports Authority, was damaged during the 6.9 magnitude earthquake that rocked Cebu last February.

The CPA also wanted to recover the property occupied by the BOC for its expansion project.

However, Rama does not want the Malacañang sa Sugbo to be returned to the BOC.

He wants the building preserved being a heritage and historical landmark in the city. He wants the building to stay as the official residence of the President whenever the President is here, or convert it to a museum.

Rama said that the Aquino has already agreed in principle to turn over the building to the city government.  (FREEMAN)