BY CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
The Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod requested the Mayor to create a committee on landbanking purposely to identify, evaluate and recommend for the possible acquisition of real properties for future use of the city government.
The resolution authored by Bacolod Councilor Al Victor Espino said the Bacolod City government is in need of expanding its powers under the Local Government Code in order to better serve its constituents and to effectively deliver basic services to its people.
The authority of the local government unit (LGU) to make innovative approach in the exercise of its mandate is necessary in the present time and must be proactive in addressing the concerns besetting the city, it said.
The city government faces a daunting task of identifying parcels of land for acquisition of the city for possible additional road network to address traffic congestion, site for housing projects of the city, area for transport terminal, and for other proprietary functions of the city government, the resolution said
The better way to guide and assist the city government in this regard is the formation of a committee which will identify, evaluate and determine parcels of land for possible acquisition that will be beneficial and advantageous to the city, it added.
Meanwhile, Espino said he is looking at a fund of P1 billion to earmark the acquisition of real properties. They should look for properties which is not limited 100 hectares.
He recalled that when he was a member of the Sangguniang Panlungsod during the previous administration, they were able to acquire the Vista-Alegre (Abada-Escay) relocation property.
“It was a landbanking venture of the city. But now, however, we have exhausted the livability of the area. It is already full so, we need to invest some more in landbanking,” Espino said.
The reason is that Bacolod is a rapidly growing city in the region. Citing a seminar of the Population Commission which he attended, he saw that in the next 10 years the city will run out of socialized housing unit based on their projection, he said.
That is why he proposed the resolution which was unanimously approved by the SP Wednesday.*
