Tom: Nothing shady about South Road Properties deal

(The Freeman) Updated August 11, 2009 12:00 AM

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he is always prepared to explain to the public all about the financial transactions entered into by the city regarding the construction and the sale of lots at the South Road Properties, formerly the South Reclamation Project.

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Filinvest Land pre-qualifies to bid for CCP asset development (South Road Properties)

By Zinnia B. Dela Peña (The Philippine Star) Updated August 09, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Filinvest Land Inc. (FLI), the property development firm owned by the Gotianun family, has pre-qualified to participate in the bidding for the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ (CCP) asset development program.

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Osmeña says cancer center at South Road Properties goes beyond politics

(The Freeman) Updated August 04, 2009 12:00 AM

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Tomas Osmeña welcomes opposition leader and businessman Jonathan Guardo’s support to his plan to have a cancer center at the South Road Properties (SRP). here

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Osmeña meets with DOH on cancer center project (South Road Properties)

(The Freeman) Updated July 27, 2009 12:00 AM

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Tomas Osmeña has met with the staff of Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque in Manila last week to discuss issues surrounding the planned branching out of the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the South Road Properties.

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City's BRT to be patterned after Bogota's (South Road Properties)

(The Freeman) Updated July 15, 2009 12:00 AM

CEBU, Philippines - Now that he has seen the real deal, Mayor Tomas Osmeña said Cebu City will have a localized version of Bogota’s Bus Rapid Transit System.
Osmeña, in an interview at the VIP Lounge of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport yesterday, said his three-day trip to Colombia was very successful.

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SM Prime beefs up presence in Cebu (South Road Properties)

By Zinnia B. Dela Peña (The Philippine Star) Updated July 07, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines – SM Prime Holdings Inc., the country’s largest shopping mall operator, is beefing up its presence in Cebu with plans to acquire three properties to take advantage of the city’s booming tourism industry.

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SM Prime Holdings eyes three more malls in Cebu (South Road Properties)

By Rhia de Pablo (The Freeman) Updated July 06, 2009 12:00 AM

CEBU, Philippines - SM Prime Holdings Inc., the conglomerate that owns and manages SM shopping malls in the country is currently negotiating with three properties here in Cebu for possible sites of three new malls.

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FLI assures city condo project won't flood Kasambagan (South Road Properties)

(The Freeman) Updated June 26, 2009 12:00 AM

CEBU, Philippines – To assure barangay Kasambagan that no flooding will occur in the area, Filinvest Land Inc. will finance drainage and road repair for its One Oasis Mabolo Project, a condominium project between barangays Kasambagan and Mabolo.
FLI Vice President for Visayas and Mindanao Tristan Las Marias made the commitment to Mayor Tomas Osmeña yesterday.

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Tomas invites Pangilinan to invest in cancer center (South Road Properties)

(The Freeman) Updated June 25, 2009 12:00 AM

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Tomas Osmeña has met with PLDT and Smart Communications Chairman Manny Pangilinan to discuss the possibility for the business mogul to invest at an extension of the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the South Road Properties.
Osmeña said the meeting went “very well” but nothing was finalized,

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Tommy lays out plans for South Road Properties cancer center

(The Freeman) Updated June 24, 2009 12:00 AM

CEBU, Philippines – Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña went to Manila yesterday to lay out plans to have the MD Anderson Cancer Center open a branch at the South Road Properties.
The said plans, he said, will be presented to officials of MD Anderson, University of Texas, Houston, when he will undergo a checkup next week.
Osmeña said he met with “hospital king” Manny Pangilinan for

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To protect the South Road Properties Tom O might run for congressman

By Ferliza C. Contratista (The Freeman) Updated June 23, 2009 12:00 AM



CEBU, Philippines – Is Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña running for congressman in 2010? He said that he will in order to protect the South Road Properties (SRP).
The mayor said that it is important that they protect the city’s interest in the SRP and wants somebody from their family to seek the congressional seat of the South District now being held by Antonio Cuenco, who is in his third and last term.
Osmeña said that it would either be him, his wife Margot or his sister Ma. Victoria ‘Minnie,’ who will be running for congress.
Vice Mayor Michael Rama, who has been touted as a very good bet for the congressional seat in the south, has already been anointed by Osmeña as the mayoralty bet of the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK).

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Filinvest to push "eco-city" project at South Road Properties amid debate

By Ehda M. Dagooc (The Freeman) Updated June 22, 2009 12:00 AM



CEBU, Philippines - Despite the unending controversies hounding the Cebu City developed South Road Properties (SRP), real estate giant Filinvest Land Inc. (FLI) is bent on pursuing its P25 billion project in the area.
FLI vice president for the Visayas and Mindanao Tristan Las Marias said the company intends to break grounds for the SRP project early next year.
By year-end, FLI targets to finish the master plan for the entire 40-hectare lot that is covered by its joint venture with the Cebu City government.
The multi-residential development, he said will give Cebu City another landmark that will have an international flavor, as well as attract the local investors.
Under the contract of the FLI-Cebu City joint venture, the development master plan for the property is to be approved by the City Council within 10 to 12 months after the contract signing last February.
He said Filinvest has commissioned the services of foreign consultants and international master planners for the development design.
“We want the development to have an international flavor to sell it not just locally but also internationally,” said Las Marias.
As of this point, FLI has not committed a name for the project yet, he said adding that as per the company’s commitment to the City Council, the development will be mainly multi-residential type with medium rise buildings, condominium units.
FLI is riding on the bandwagon of developing environment-friendly buildings or “eco-cities.”

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CIPC drafts campaign to re-package Cebu (South Road Properties)

CEBU, Philippines - After it successfully promoted Cebu as an ICT (Information Communication Technology) hub, Cebu will adopt a re-packaging campaign to lump together investments and tourism in the province.
(The Freeman) Updated June 08, 2009 12:00 AM

Cebu Investments and Promotions Center (CIPC) will soon draft an effective and unique promotional campaign for Cebu to re-package Cebu City as retirement and medical tourism hub, that will entice foreigners not just to visit here, but also make some investments in properties, such as condominiums.
Joining the program already introduced by the Department of Tourism (DOT) called as the “Live Your Dream” campaign, CIPC managing director Joel Mari S. Yu said Cebu will have a re-packaging bid as interest now especially from the foreign market, is not only considering Cebu as an investment hub, but also a good site for “vacation homes.”

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Move to bring cancer center to Cebu City faces obstacles South Road Properties

CEBU, Philippines – While a cancer center at the South Road Properties is seen to attract clients from other countries in Asia, Australia, and the Middle East, Mayor Tomas Osmeña said yesterday the city may not be able to give its final word to the MD Anderson Cancer Center by August.
The MD Anderson Cancer Center of the University of Texas in the United States has expressed intention to invest on a cancer center at the SRP but Osmeña says the same faces several obstacles, one of which is the fact that the institution is state-owned, thereby, not allowed to invest outside Texas.
“They are not even allowed to put up in California…how much more in the Philippines? So somebody else can invest for them,” Osmeña said.

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SM Investments to build hotels near malls

By Rhia de Pablo (The Freeman) Updated June 05, 2009 12:00 AM



CEBU, Philippines – Looking at the huge potential of the tourism industry, SM Investments Corporation’s (SMIC) hotel and entertainment segment unveiled plans to roll out a mid-end hotel brand nationwide that will maximize their properties near its existing regional malls.
With an earmarked budget of P2 billion, SMIC plans to open 15 branches of Traveller’s Hotel nationwide, which will capitalize on the flourishing domestic and foreign tourism industry in the country, said SMIC executive vice president and chief financial officer Jose T. Sio in an interview. here

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City to put on hold another sale at South Road Properties

(The Freeman) Updated June 04, 2009 12:00 AM


CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña yesterday said the selling of another lots at the South Road Properties (SRP) will have to wait.
Osmeña, who met with a probable locator of the SRP yesterday, said the selling of lots of the SRP will have to be put aside after another sale or two.
“We just want to let Filinvest project kick off,” Osmeña said in a text message.
Filinvest Land Inc. (FLI) entered into a joint venture agreement with the city government for the development of 50.6 hectare lot at SRP.
Osmeña said he doesn’t want businesses competing at the SRP and wanted the city to regulate the sale of other lots.
Yesterday, he did not report to the City Hall but has met with the Korean investors interested to develop the whole Kawit Island for hotel and condominium project.
“They want Kawit, I said not for sale,” Osmeña said.

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Tom wants South Road Properties investors to follow design objectives

(The Freeman) Updated May 28, 2009 12:00 AM
Locators at the South Road Properties (SRP) cannot just do whatever they wish.
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña wants all locators at SRP to follow the city’s design objectives.
Osmeña, in a press conference yesterday, said there are certain considerations that all locators will have to bear in mind to be in consonance with what the city desires for the SRP.
The first large investor of the SRP, Filinvest Land Incorporated (FLI) is set to start construction of their housing and offices project in the next two months.
Osmeña said planners of each locator will have to make sure that their structures will be built considering the factor of an internal transport system.
“The SRPs where one will leave and not to have a need of a car,” he said.
He said the SRP will be user friendly and where one can move around without needing a car therefore traffic is not a problem.

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City, VECO sign MOA for power in South Road Properties

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City government and the Visayan Electric Company yesterday signed a memorandum of agreement for electricity in the 300-hectare South Road Properties.

The signatories were Mayor Tomas Osmeña on behalf of the city while VECO was represented by its president Dennis Garcia, the signing was witnessed by key officials of both parties.

Osmeña said that VECO will supply electricity to the entire facility as well as fill in the demands of the locators.

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Tomas wants public to scrutinize South Road Properties

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña wants the public to further scrutinize developments at the South Road Properties (SRP).

A day before returning to the United States to undergo operation in his gall bladder the mayor said he welcomes the public, specially the city residents, to be aware of the SRP project and other developments in the city.

“I want the people of Cebu to scrutinize. Sure, because number one, we have nothing to hide and two, this is your project,” Osmeña emphasized.

According to him, he would welcome all questions and will answer them one by one because the residents deserve to know more about the SRP.

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Tomas, Veco sign power supply accord for South Road Properties

By Marian Z. Codilla, Reporter

A DAY before leaving for the United States, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña signed a memorandum of agreement with the Visayan Electric Co. (Veco) to distribute power in the South Road Properties (SRP).

The mayor is scheduled to board a 12:45 p.m Cathay Pacific flight direct to Los Angeles together with wife Margot and only son Miguel.

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Cebu City Hall, Veco sign deal on supply to South Road Properties power users

THE Cebu City Government and the Visayas Electric Company (Veco) yesterday signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the utility firm to supply power to locators of the South Road Properties (SRP).

Mayor Tomas Osmeña said Veco will just charge the rate it collects throughout its franchise area while giving the city a P0.20 share per kilowatt hour.

Panagbenga 2009 blog

Osmeña, however, failed to mention that the MOA contained a provision where Veco can actually apply for an additional P0.20 as “access fee” from locators, which would be collected once approved by the “regulatory authority.”

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Osmeña South Road Prpoerties pact can stand House scrutiny

By Marian Z. Codilla and Doris C. Bongcac, Reporters


LEGALLY defensible.

So said Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña of plans for a congressional inquiry into the joint venture contract between the Cebu City government and Filinvest Land Inc. on 50 hectares of South Road Properties (SRP).

Osmeña said that while he was unhappy with the call by Rep. Pablo John Garcia for a congressional inquiry, the Capitol's accusations of irregularities were “pure harassment.”

“It's just pure harassment...(the province has) nothing else to do. They can make panglawgaw (a mockery of) the contract but it is very defensible and I am very proud of it,” Osmeña said.

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Cebu City Hall, UP seal partnership in South Road Properties

By Jully Venus Cuizon, Correspondent


A well-paying job in a call center and a chance to earn a master's degree in the same work site is a “strategy” that may pay off for Cebu City and the University of the Philippines.

If this attracts the “brightest workers” in the region, business is sure to follow.

Five hectares of reclaimed land in the South Road Properties (SRP) were donated to the state university, which will build a graduate school within the next three years.

As a condition, UP Visayas Cebu Campus will offer a master's degree in business administration (MBA) evening program and continuing education in the English language.

UP President Dr. Emerlinda R. Roman and Cebu City Mayor Tomas R. Osmena signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on the donation of 51,372 square meters of land yesterday.

“We are firmly establishing our right and competitiveness of Cebu in the future,” said Osmeña during the signing ceremony at the Social Hall of the Cebu City Legislative Building.

“I would like to see the day when Cebu will be producing 3,000 MBA graduates a year and all employees of call centers. These services will be offered to regional headquarters in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia whose workers will come to Cebu for their master's degrees.”

Roman said UP would move quickly to build the school and will likely offer the MBA program this June, starting with classes in the existing UP Cebu campus in Lahug.

She said she and other UP officials were impressed with the mayor's dream “to make Cebu the first city of choice in the country and not just an alternative to Manila” and that UP has a role here in human resources development.

Before the signing, Mayor Osmeña sat down with the UP officials and suggested ways to partner with the private sector to get the facilities and programs up and running.

Present in the signing were Councilor Hilario Davide III and other city councilors, UPVCC Dean Enrique Avila, members of the Board of Regents, visiting UP officials from Diliman, businessman Manuel Go, SRP Marketing Director Joel Mari Yu.

Another condition of the deed of donation is that UP shall consider the project as its flagship Centennial project to offer programs in the fields of computational science product design and packaging, communications design, management, sciences, mathematics and the arts and humanities for the Visayas and ASEAN regions.

UP shall not convey in whole or in part the property to any third party. The deed of donation was approved by the City Council on March 4, 2009.

In his speech, Mayor Osmena said the partnership is a bold step for Cebu City and UP to make Cebu more “competitive” in a globalized economy and improve the workforce in Cebu and was an initiative being taken “without waiting for the central government” to act.

The mayor said he would like to see “educational courses geared to the lifestyle” of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) workers. For example, an employee who gets off a graveyard shift could just go downstairs from his office to attend an MBA class because the schedule fits his reporting time.

He said BPOs abroad would favor having their employees get an affordable MBA degree in Cebu where workers have good people skills and a desire “for a better life.”

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Wenceslao: Killing South Road Properties' potentials

Bong O. Wenceslao

THE controversy over the Cebu City Government’s deal with Filinvest Land Inc. to develop a portion of the South Road Properties (SRP) has just gotten interesting, what with Capitol firing questions at will from the trenches. The biggest offensive would definitely be the House inquiry that Rep. Pablo John Garcia is preparing.

Let us see how a City Hall with “only” Acting Mayor Michael Rama (Mayor Tomas Osmeña is set to go back to the United States for surgery) at the helm would counter that assault. Will Reps. Raul del Mar and Antonio Cuenco man the ramparts in Osmeña’s defense by blocking the initiative at the House of Representatives?

I won’t dwell on who got the commission from the transaction. I would leave that to Bobby Nalzaro who has been harping on the issue in his columns and commentaries for days now. Commissions, even if they run to millions of pesos, are difficult to expose simply because those involved have the ability of cats.

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It’s harassment: Tom on threat of House inquiry on FLI deal (South Road Properties)

HARASSMENT. That’s how Mayor Tomas Osmeña described Rep. Pablo John Garcia’s vow to initiate a House inquiry into the Cebu City Government’s agreement with Filinvest Land Inc. (FLI) on the sale and development of South Road Properties (SRP) lots.

He, however, was unconcerned, saying the Capitol can keep and scrutinize its copy of the joint venture agreement with FLI.


“I’m not happy with harassment. But let me tell you that Congress is not a court. They want to use Congress as a court because maybe they can influence the congressmen, but Congress is not a court,” Osmeña said.

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Garcias threaten to elevate South Road Properties pact to Congress inquiry

By Marian Z. Codilla and Doris C. Bongcac, Reporters


The joint venture agreement between the Cebu City government and Filinvest Land Inc. may undergo congressional scrutiny if City Hall refuses to give a copy to the Capitol.

Rep. Pablo John Garcia of Cebu's 3rd district said he will ask help from his father, Deputy Speaker Pablo Garcia and other allies to call for an inquiry into the agreement in aid of legislation when Congress resumes session on April 13.

Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia sent a letter to Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña at his office about 2 p.m yesterday, asking for a copy of the signed agreement with Filinvest.

The agreement covers 50.6 hectares within the South Road Properties (SRP).

She said she wanted to know the grounds behind the Capitol's disqualification from challenging Filinvest's unsolicited proposal as well as the document's signatories.

Capitol consultant Rory John Sepulveda showed the media the provincial government's analysis of the joint venture agreement.

Governor Garcia questioned why the 10.6 hectare prime lot of SRP was disposed of without public bidding.

A copy of the draft JV agreement obtained by the governor's office mentioned that Filinvest will submit their development master plan to the city within one year from the agreement's effectivity.

Sepulveda said a portion of the draft agreement mentioned that “Filinvest can alter the master plan by issuing a 90-day notice to the city.

A 20-year period was also issued to Filinvest to develop infrastructure facilities in the SRP.

“Is an integrated and well-planned cluster of medium rise residential buildings and retirement and care complexes consistent with a Central Business District type of development?” Sepulveda asked.

Congressman Garcia said the planned review of the JV agreement should not be interpreted as retaliation for Osmeña's move to stop commercial development of province-owned lots.

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School to make South Road Properties attractive to workers: Tom

AN EDUCATIONAL facility planned for the South Road Properties (SRP) will help attract locators to the Cebu City project, Mayor Tomas Osmeña said yesterday.

Cebu City will donate five hectares of SRP land to the University of the Philippines Visayas College-Cebu for putting up a facility that will offer information technology and masteral degree courses.


Osmeña is scheduled to sign the deed of donation today.

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Tom back with riches in mind (South Road Properties)

By Ferliza C. Contratista Andrene U. Borromeo Updated March 11, 2009 12:00 AM

CEBU, Philippines - “To create Cebu City’s economic future, through the SRP, is my priority.”

Thus, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said, will be his priority during the welcome gathering late afternoon yesterday attended by close to 3,000 city hall employees, barangay officials and workers, who waited despite the rain.

Osmeña, dressed in a floral printed polo, appeared jolly and proud of his head he intentionally shaved due to excessive hair loss brought by seven rounds of chemotherapy treatment for his cancer of the urinary bladder.

He said his top priority for his two-week return to Cebu City is the finalization of developments at the 302-hectare South Road Properties (SRP), a project he initiated in 1994.

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Cebu mayor is back (South Road Properties)

CEBU CITY -- Mayor Tomas Osmeña arrived Tuesday morning, immediately took over from Acting Mayor Michael Rama, and spoke of preparing the local economy for “dark clouds on the horizon.”

In a press conference, Osmeña said resolving the manifesto of some barangay captains who pushed for a Raul del Mar-Tomas Osmeña tandem in the 2010 elections is not his priority. Rama will resume working as vice mayor for two weeks.


During these weeks, Osmeña said he would rather focus on meeting more potential investors for the South Road Properties (SRP) and help Filinvest Land Inc. earn more money.

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Filinvest to pay city P338 million on Thursday (South Road Properties)

Updated March 03, 2009 12:00 AM



CEBU, Philippines – Instead of today, Filinvest Land Inc. will hand over the P338 million first payment of its joint venture agreement for developing 50.6 hectares of the South Road Properties on Thursday.

Cebu City Hall still needs to finalize the technical description of the lots at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

One or two titles will be turned over to FLI, which will convey an initial two hectares as a result of the first payment.

The mother title of the 10-hectare outright purchase will then be taken from the Land Bank of the Philippines to be brought to the Registry of Deeds.

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City richer by P348 million by Thursday (South Road Properties)

THE Cebu City government will be receiving P348 million by Thursday as the Filinvest Land Inc. is set to make its first payment of the land it bought at the South Road Properties (SRP).

With the payment, the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), the city's escrow agent, will release to the Filinvest duplicate copies of the certificates of title for the sold property.

The title that would be released to the Filinvest today would still be under the name of the city but a deed of absolute sale would be issued so that the Filinvest could start working on transferring the titles under its name.

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Filinvest to pay City for South Road Properties lots

CEBU City Hall will not get Filinvest Land Inc.’s (FLI) P338-million down payment today as earlier expected after city officials failed to secure a document from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The document is a requirement in the joint venture contract to develop a 50.6-hectare area of the South Road Properties (SRP).

City Administrator Francisco Fernandez said last night that the scheduled signing of the deed of sale and the turnover of FLI’s first payment will not push through today and is postponed to March 5.

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New team eyed to review South Road Properties water supply proposal

CEBU, Philippines – Cebu City acting Mayor Michael Rama is expected to sign this week the creation of a new Joint Venture Selection Committee which will go over the unsolicited proposal of Pilipinas Water Resources Inc. for the supply of water to the entire South Road Properties.

City administrator Francisco Fernandez said that the document creating the JVSC for PWRI is already on the table of Rama waiting for his signature.

Included in the creation of JVSC is its composition which according to Fernandez will still be composed of members of the former JVSC who dealt with the P25-billion proposal of Filinvest Land, Inc.

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Once he is back: Tomas to focus on sale of South Road Properties

CEBU, Philippines – Cebu City Mayor on-leave Tomas Osmeña, who is expected to be back more than a week from now for a brief vacation, said he does not have any major project to implement when he officially takes back the reins of the City Hall on March 10.

What the mayor plans to do during his three-week stay in Cebu City is to help in the negotiation with the prospective buyers for the sale of more lots at the South Road Properties (SRP).

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