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.”



“The city government is not using SRP simply as a business of real estate. We want to do something extra with it and as I promised, we are looking for ways and means to help develop the economy of Cebu.”

Read more...

Council okays South Road Properties lot donation to UP

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Council has approved the committee report giving authority to acting Mayor Michael Rama to pursue donating a lot of the South Road Properties to the University of the Philippines.

This after the Committee on Laws headed by councilor Edgardo Labella, reviewed the resolution and recommended its approval.

The resolution authored by councilor Jose Daluz III which authorized Rama to execute and sign the Deed of Donation in favor of UP was referred to the said committee two weeks ago



According to Labella’s committee report, the proposed resolution is within the power of the city council to enact considering that a local government can grant loans or provide grants to educational institutions as part of its duties and functions.

Councilor Rodrigo Abellanosa, earlier called for the resolution’s deferment doubting the capacity of UP or the national government to start or sustain the project.

Abellanosa cited properties of UP Cebu which are in Lahug and also in Lawaan, Talisay City, which are now claimed and occupied by squatters.

He suggested other school options which can sufficiently support and start the project especially as the SRP is a prime lot.

Last Wednesday and prior to the approval of the committee report, Abellanosa then asked for specific plans of UP but Labella reasoned said it is already mention in the deed of donation.

Labella said UP is under condition to use the property as part of 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 in the Visayan and ASEAN regions.

Labella also said the property will be taken back by the city should UP fail to construct the needed infrastructures in three years time.

With this Abellanosa agreed for the approval of the committee report.

The city intends to donate to UP, Lot 1-G-Part, situated in the SRP with an area of 51,372 square meters.

UP graduates are seen to boost manpower of locators soon to be established in SRP. — Ferliza C. Contratista/BRP (THE FREEMAN)

Read more...

No harm in donating South Road Properties lot to UP - Yu

Sugbu Buillding during Christmas Season

Updated February 05, 2009 12:00 AM

CEBU - The Cebu Investment and Promotion Center, the marketing arm of the South Road Properties, is confident that the city will not be at a loss if it donates a parcel of land at the SRP to the University of the Philippines.

CIPC head Joel Mari Yu explained that there are sufficient safeguards and guarantees placed within the contract for the donation, one of which is the provision that the city can recover the property if UP fails to start a project or fail to put up the agreed number of structures therein within three years.



“If within three years, the UP administration failed to start the project, or failed to put up the minimum number of structures, then Cebu City gets back the property,” Yu said.

Mayor-on-leave Tomas Osmeña has wanted UP to offer masters degree programs at a separate campus at the SRP. Osmeña specifically wanted the university to offer a master’s degree on accountancy to those that would be employed by locators at the SRP.

“It is the Mayor’s vision to have a portion of SRP as the center for Information Technology,” Yu said.

Councilor Rodrigo Abellanosa earlier has asked to defer the approval of the resolution covering the Deed of Donation, saying the move involves a very high risk, one of which is the capacity of the national government to allocate sufficient funds to start and sustain a new project for the university.

UP itself has failed to recover its properties in barangay Lahug and a big chunk of land in barangay Lawaan in Talisay City, which are now being occupied by illegal settlers.

Abellanosa then proposed to open the donation to other universities like Ateneo and La Salle before the city arrives at a decision. — Ferliza C. Contratista/JMO (THE FREEMAN)

Read more...

Council committee looking into plan to donate South Road Properties lot

Cebu - The proposal of Councilor Jose Daluz for the city to donate a parcel of land at the South Road Properties to the University of the Philippines is now pending before the City Council committee on laws.

The proposal was referred to the committee during the council’s regular session last Wednesday to determine the legal implications of the proposed donation.

But while UP is leaving it up to the council to decide on the proposal, UP Visayas – Cebu College Dean Enrique Avila said UP is serious in expanding to the SRP.



“It has been our President’s desire that UP Cebu will be able to contribute to the development of the community that is why we accepted their proposal… For as long as we are offered, we will honor our commitment. If the SRP is not for us, we have nothing to lose,” Avila said.

Daluz’ proposal stipulates that the city will donate a lot to UP but the university has to build a separate campus therein within a specific period of time, otherwise, the donation will be declared null and void.

Another condition is for UP to bring to the SRP extension programs like Masters in Business Administration and other continuing education courses.

Avila admitted the condition puts a lot of pressure on UP but the university decided to accept the challenge because UP President Emerlinda Roman sees it as an opportunity to develop UP and a chance for the school to contribute something to the community.

Roman has reportedly started allocating funds for the project, as it is her priority as newly elected president to develop the university’s regional campuses.

“We were offered because the city believes that with UP at the SRP offering MBA courses, the city can attract more investors to be locators at SRP,” Avila said. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/JMO (THE FREEMAN)

Read more...

Abellanosa shoots down move to donate lot to UP (South Road Properties)

Cebu - The Cebu City Council referred to the committee on laws the resolution donating a lot at the South Road Properties to the University of the Philippines.

Councilor Rodrigo Abellanosa asked for reconsideration of the resolution – authored by Councilor Joey Daluz - that authorizes acting mayor Michael Rama to enter into a deed of donation with the UP for a parcel of SRP lot.

Abellanosa, who is a product of UP and owns the Asian College of Technology (ACT), said he doubts the capacity of the national government to provide funds to sustain the property.



He mentioned that UP has a six-hectare lot in Lawaan Dos, Talisay City that remains idle. The lot is now occupied by illegal settlers.

“I have no doubts in donating anything, but it is the capability of the national government in providing financial resources to UP, I asked the proponent (Daluz) to reconsider. Let us open talks with other universities like La Salle or Ateneo,” Abellanosa said.

After a minute recess, it was finally decided to have the resolution referred to the committee on laws.

The city is set to donate 51,372 square meters of lot located at Lot 1-G at the SRP to the UP on condition that the university will open masteral courses on management in its SRP campus so its graduates could serve to the locators at the properties. — Ferliza C. Contratista/LPM (THE FREEMAN)

Read more...