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.

Osmeña said the city is helping FLI carry out with their project “but it doesn’t mean we are abandoning the people of Kasambagan. I mean, fair is fair,” Osmeña said.
Councilor Augustus Pe yesterday said the technical group of FLI, as well as the city’s engineering staff and officials of barangay Kasambagan are now holding meetings to determine the necessities for drainage and road repair.
The Kasambagan barangay council recently denied FLI an endorsement for its application for an environmental compliance certificate for the One Oasis Mabolo project, saying the project is seen to cause flooding in at least six sitios in the barangay.
The project would also reportedly flood an existing subdivision because it will block the exit of rainwater coming from the Cebu Country Club.
FLI is the city’s first investor at the South Road Properties with a P25 billion project, which will be implemented through a Joint Venture Agreement. —Ferliza C. Contratista/JMO (THE FREEMAN)

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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, especially on how much Pangilinan would invest in the project. The city has proposed for the business mogul to provide the equipment and facilities needed by the cancer center.
Osmeña met with Pangilinan in Manila the other day. Pangilinan was ranked the 39th richest man in the Philippines last year with a net worth of US$ 39 million.
Osmeña said another meeting will be arranged with Pangilinan and officials of Filinvest Land Inc., which the city wants to provide the land and the center itself. Filinvest is the very first investor at the South Road Properties.
The mayor was also set to meet with Senator Loren Legarda, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, but later chose to do so after he returns from the United States.
He said he would also meet with officials from the Department of Health, Philippine Medical Association, and Philippine Regulatory Commission, among others.
“I’ll meet them when I get back. I anticipate some opposition from the locals in the name of nationalism because you know, the market of this hospital is not really the Philippines,” Osmeña said.
Osmeña said he will also make an initial presentation of the project to officials of MD Anderson Cancer Center and would invite the officials to Cebu City. It was at the center where Osmeña was treated for his cancer of the urinary bladder.
Osmeña said a branch of the cancer center in Cebu will be the “biggest opportunity of the Philippines as far as medical tourism is concerned” and the city will target countries that are possible markets for the center.
So far, a prince from Brunei and a large firm in India have reportedly expressed interest to invest in the project, he said.
Aside from providing a topnotch facility to countries far from the US, Osmeña said the MD Anderson Cancer Center would also be a venue to facilitate research and development, as well as the transfer of technology to the locales.
“You know, they can validate alternative medicine like mixing of kamunggay with, you know, a potion here, lotion there, kanang mga Arthro-Arthro ba. I’m serious because they are claiming to cure these kinds of diseases,” he said.
MD Anderson has reportedly invented 17 new cancer treatments in five years and is working on six more treatments. — Ferliza C. Contratista/JMO (THE FREEMAN)

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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
a possible joint undertaking to realize the MD Anderson plan at the SRP.
“The meeting went on very well. It was exploratory. As suggested they will meet with Filinvest for a possible joint effort at the SRP,” Osmeña said.
In earlier interviews he said the hospital will have to be built in the 50.6-hectare area of Filinvest Land Inc. who will also build the building.
Another player needed is someone who could supply and organize the hospital which is the expertise of Pangilinan.
If things go as planned, operations and manpower will be filled in by MD Anderson.
Osmeña said, MD Anderson can’t put up a branch outside Texas as it is state-owned and so it was necessary for him to organize the players jointly.
Osmeña had his treatment and surgery for urinary bladder cancer at the said center which is considered as the best cancer center in the world.
Having MD Anderson at SRP has the Middle East, Australia and the whole Asia as a market since it is nearer than their hospital in Houston.
“Desperate people, those who wanted to live and get cured will go to MD Anderson, there was even one who will fly in and fly out from Hong Kong to Houston for treatment,” he said.
The hospital earns around $1,000 a day for the stay alone, exclusive of the chemotherapy and other treatment fees.
He said there was also a day in which the center earned $6.5 million for chemotherapy.
It is also preferable to have the center within the 50.6 hectare area of the FLI project considering that the patients will have to rent apartments and condominiums.
The patient’s relatives and friends will also be accommodated by the units that will be built soon.
Pangilinan is the president of SMART and Philippine Long Distance Company is in a hospital-buying-and-investing spree in Visayas and Mindanao.
He heads Metro Pacific Investment Corporation and owns leading hospitals such as Makati Medical Center. – Ferliza C. Contratista/BRP (THE FREEMAN)

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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).

The move to have an Osmeña run for congress is also meant to help stop opposition leader Jonathan Guardo, who ran and lost in 2007, but has relentlessly pursued his desire to reach out to the voters of the district.
“It’s either Minnie, Margot or me, I can’t afford just anyone to become congressman of South District, because the SRP is there,” Osmeña said.
While Minnie has already expressed intention to run for congress, Margot, the mayor’s wife, has repeatedly said that she is not running for public office. Despite that, she remains popular among the barangay captains not as congresswoman though, but as replacement of her husband at City Hall.
The mayor said that he would not force Rama to seek the congressional seat.
“If I will force Mike, it will appear that I will have my own agenda,” Osmeña said.
Majority of the barangay captains, he said, dislike Rama and have already come up with two manifestos.
The latest manifesto, which called for a Margot-Cong. Raul del Mar tandem, was delivered last week, a few days after Osmeña pleaded the barangay heads to give Rama a chance.
The manifesto was signed by 56 of the 80 barangay heads in Cebu City.
Osmeña, however, assured that the manifesto would not affect his stand of having Rama as BOPK standard bearer next year.
He said that the opposition has no candidates anyway.
“Again they are recycled losers, di ko mupusta sa bihag, Mike Rama won against Raymond Garcia by 150,000 votes, besides Mike now is getting better,” Osmeña said.
Guardo’s Comment
Guardo said that the mayor is just making the SRP as an excuse when the truth is, he doesn’t want to step down from power.
“Alibi ra na. He doesn’t want a Carillo (Gerardo) or an Abellanosa (Rodrigo) or a Rama to run for a big position. Gusto niya Osmeña tanan. It will be Margot for Mayor, Minnie for congress in north and Tomas in the south,” Guardo said.
On his spending to win over the residents, Guardo said, the mayor’s party, Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) has also been giving P2000 to senior citizens, millions of pesos in road asphalting, while Carillo is staging discos and concerts.
All these he said are already preparation for 2010.
Another opposition leader, former Mayor Alvin Garcia said the mayor should now take things easy.
“I think he should enjoy the remaining years of his life like me. He deserves it. He should avoid stress and relax more. Besides from his background, he won’t make a good legislator, it would be unfair to the city,” Garcia said.
Rama Speaks Out
Rama denied that he is not being fair in serving the barangay captains.
This after barangay captains from the north alleged that he doesn’t have any accomplishment or project in their district.
“That is of course not true, I have records of my projects and my undertakings that would show, had benefited both districts, my projects are not directly given to them,” Rama said.
These include his traffic and decongesting programs; cultural and historical events such Pasko sa Sugbo, Pasko sa Carbon, Buhing Kalbaryo and most popularly his being chairman of the Sinulog Foundation Inc.
The Sinulog Foundation, he said, earned millions in income which will translate to barangay’s share as Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) once it reaches the National Treasury.
He also listed programs on Coastal Clean up, the rehabilitation of the City Hall Legislative Building and the number of times he served as Acting Mayor.
“Nakalimot sila nga dili pa ko mayor, that’s why, make me your mayor, tagae ko og chance and dinha ninyo makita ang proyekto diretso ninyo,” Rama said
Contenders
Meanwhile Osmeña said he would be willing to take in barangay Luz captain Nida Cabrera and a social worker Alvin Dizon as candidates to replace the outgoing Councilors.
“These are strong contenders, I always believe in government based on participation, sukad na sukad nangita jud ko og agi sa mga NGOs,” Osmeña said.
The two were formally announced as candidates by the Bag-ong Katipunan Alang sa Katilingbanong Katarungan (Bag-ong Katipunan) movement last Saturday.
Outgoing councilors include Abellanosa, Carillo, Arsenio Pacaña, Sylvan Jack Jakosalem and Christopher Alix. —/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)

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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.”

He described the FLI “eco-city” as having more pedestrian roads, central parks, its own school, church, central terminal, among others.
It will be a self-sustaining residential project,” he said.
“The deal is a good way for Cebuanos to feel proud. This is going to be the next global city in the Philippines,” he said.
The Cebu City government stands to earn from the outright sale amounting to P1.546 billion for the first three years, and from its 10-percent share in the sale of built-up units in the 40-ha area, or a minimum guaranteed return, whichever is higher.
The properties covered by the joint venture will be developed in 20 years, at 10-ha for a maximum of five years.
Las Marias said that FLI is open to talk to other developers that have plans to invest at the SRP to accommodate offices and businesses. He added that this will result in an integrated land use and a complimentary product mix at SRP.
He too assured that FLI is determined to push through its multi-billion peso residential project at the SRP as he is confident the political issues raised against the company’s investment there “have become fewer.
The Gotianun-led Filinvest Development Corporation, is one of the largest developers in the Philippines, developed close to 2,000 hectares of land in the last four decades, shopping centers, it also engaged in different businesses like banking (East West Bank), and projects like shopping centers, central business districts, high-rise offices, and condominiums, recreational farms, leisure clubs, industrial estates and an information technology park.
Excluding the investments put in its leisure group in Seascapes, Filinvest Land has already spent P5 billion in real estate developments in Cebu in the last three years. Combined, the company has put up close to P10 billion in investments in the last few years.

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