City hopes to collect P109M to construct new city hall building
Iloilo City -- The city government is hoping to collect some P103 million from different government owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) to raise funds for the construction of a new Iloilo City Hall building.
Mayor Jerry Treñas said he has already coordinated with the heads of the Office of the Government Corporate Council to settle the accounts of GOCC's. The collection of the unpaid real property taxes is halted as there are still legal questions concerning the payment of the real property taxes.
Records from the City Treasurer's Office (CTO) showed that from January to December 2006, the city government has collectibles amounting to P109 million. They city government has a collectible of P6,199,415.21 from the Air Transportation Office (ATO); P57, 269,037.98 from the Philippine Fishing Port Development Authority (PFPDA); P38,902,079.08 from Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and another P1.3 million from the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).
Treñas said should the collectibles are settled he wants to spend the amount for notable projects such as the construction of a new city hall building. He also hinted that he will do something to push through with the plans even if they could not collect the entire amount. Even if the city can only collect 80 percent of the collectibles that would be enough for the construction of the new city hall.
The design for the new Iloilo City Hall building will be made by Willy Coscolluela, the same person who designed the new Iloilo Provincial Capitol.
Coscoluella's team was in the city yesterday for a meeting with the chief executive and other city officials for the construction of the new Iloilo City Hall building. They are eyeing to have the building constructed at the Iloilo Airport since it will be converted into an economic zone or the building will still occupy its proposed site in San Pedro, Molo.
In previous administration, millions of pesos was poured out for the construction of the new city hall but nothing rise from its site until this date. One of those who contributed for the construction of the new city hall building was Ilongga Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago. In one of her campaign-sorties in 2001, the senator believed the money was "stolen."