• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The municipality of Don Salvador Benedicto, the summer capital of Negros Occidental, will soon have a new government and activity center, in a 17-hectare property it purchased in Brgy. Igmayaan of the municipality.
Mayor Laurence Marxlen dela Cruz, who led the groundbreaking rites, yesterday said that they are now in the process of creating a topographic map, which will be used as the basis for the development master plan of the newly acquired property.
“It will be a green and smart development, as well environmentally sound. What is also important is the connectivity,” said dela Cruz, whose parents are former city officials that have contributed to the current state of the municipality.
The property was purchased for P80 million by the municipal government from the heirs of the Jalandoni family, at P500 per square meter, with finances taken from its approved loan of P246 million from the Development Bank of the Philippines, the mayor said.
P21 million from the loan was used by the Don Salvador Benedicto municipal government in the purchased of 11 4×4 Toyota Hi Lux pick up vehicles, and two vans.
Of the 11 brand new pick up vehicles, dela Cruz said seven of them will be issued to seven barangays of Don Salvador Benedicto to be used as rescue vehicles and for emergency purposes, and one each for the police station, town rescue group, Municipal Health Office, and the local Department of Education personnel.
The ceremonial turnover of the keys of the vehicles, pending their arrival, was also held yesterday.
De la Cruz said they will build a new municipal hall in the newly acquired property, but not soon, although they still have P90 million remaining from the approved DBP loans, of which P156 million was already availed.
The mayor also said that he is planning to relocate the police station and public market, among others, to the property, aside from the municipal hall.
He also disclosed that the loan will also be used in the many other infrastructure projects, such as concreting of roads in tourism destination areas, and other far flung areas of the municipality.*
