CITOM eyes CentCom lot for road system

CEBU, Philippines -  For a number of reasons, primarily to provide additional road networks in areas of traffic concern, the possible transfer of Central Command in Camp Lapu-Lapu of the Armed Forces of the Philippines is now being mulled.

The City Traffic Operations Management Board is set to discuss and approve the draft resolution on the proposed transfer of CentCom and utilization of the 90-hectare property as new road network to address traffic congestion.

The draft CITOM Board resolution aims to request Cebu City North District Rep. Raul del Mar to amend Republic 7227 or the Bases Conversion and Development Act of 1992 and include Camp Lapu-Lapu in its list of developments.

The act was responsible for the conversion of military installations to keep up with economic and social development of the areas they belonged to, including Subic and Clark, Camp John Hay and Fort Bonifacio.

“Camp Lapu-Lapu is a prime location to develop road networks as alternate access to the congested Banilad – Talamban corridor,” the draft resolution read, stressing that the present CentCom location is accessible to and from barangays Lahug, Apas and Banilad.

Committee on Traffic Management chairman Councilor Gerardo Carillo plans to author a resolution requesting the Department of National Defense to transfer Camp Lapu-Lapu outside Cebu City to “ease the growing need of road access towards Banilad Corridor and in anticipation of the Business Process Outsourcing expansion in the area” as it is in the same barangay as the Cebu IT Park, a BPO hub.

Carillo also sits as one of the council’s representative to the CITOM Board. His proposed resolution was set to be submitted during last Wednesday’s regular session, but he decided to defer it for one more week.

“I got information that there is an ongoing land dispute in some parts of the area so I decided to defer it for a week,” Carillo said.

The proposed resolution also noted the absence of security threats to Cebu City implying that the transfer will not result to adverse major concerns.

“Cebu City has one of the most vibrant and peaceful environments. The city is a growing city. There have been relatively smaller number of attacks and threats against the City and its people. In addition, there are no reported terror threats nor any form of national security threats in Cebu City,” the proposed resolution read.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said the transfer of CentCom has been included in his intentions for Cebu City since the ‘90s.

“I even shared that with the former governor  (Gwendolyn Garcia). It’s about time,” Rama told reporters adding that utilization of the property for economic purposes will boost Cebu’s push to continue becoming a Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions center.

Rama also said the transfer will reduce military threats to the city in cases of “coup, island-to-island, country-to-country” conflicts.

His predecessor and political rival former congressman Tomas Osmeña shared the same opinion with Rama in transferring the camp outside Cebu City. However, he did not agree with reports to have the new camp transferred to Balamban town, saying it is impractical to have CentCom in a place with no proper harbor.

For him, Guimaras Island is the most strategic area to move the camp to since “it has no mountain, outside the typhoon belt, has more place for air force to be relocated as well, and the land there is cheap.”

The Armed Forces of the Philippines-Central Command aired concerns on possible security threats over the idea transferring them to other location. However, CentCom commander Lt. Gen. Roy Deveraturda, said that they do not have problems on the transfer as long as they will be provided with functional replication of the same headquarters.

As Centcom’s head, Deveraturda said he will not stand in the way of Cebu City’s development, however, old proposals and agreements of the said request are still being reviewed by the DND.

“Massive movement is very difficult that we need the guidance from the higher headquarters but, why don’t we treat this as real security and defense asset because of rich history?” he said.

Deveraturda added that there are processes and procedures to the matter beyond his authority.

As a way to help alleviate traffic problems, Deveraturda explained that CentCom is being used by pedestrians of the Apas Elementary School and the Camp Lapu-Lapu National High School.

April last year, former governor Garcia also proposed to transfer CentCom to the Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base in Lapu-Lapu City.

In 2009, Cebu Province signed a memorandum of agreement with the AFP through then Defense secretary Gilberto Teodoro for the transfer of the CentCom headquarters to Lapu-Lapu City. Under the MOA, the province “shall replicate or cause to be replicated all the existing and identified buildings, facilities, structures of headquarters of CentCom and its supporting units with perimeter fence at its relocation area at Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base in Lapu-Lapu City.”

Buildings that cannot be accommodated  at the airbase shall be relocated to lots appropriated for the AFP in Camp Lapu-Lapu, Cebu City.

The province shall also “provide and ensure financial support and equipment” to the survey, preparation of the estimates, plans, designs, specifications and other activities with regard to this undertaking.  (FREEMAN)