Tabuk City, Kalinga – “I’m one of those who did not sign the ratification of the contract,” stated Councilor Zorayda Wacnang during the press forum of Tabuk City LGU discussing issues regarding the XRC Mall agreements on October 21, 2021.
Wacnang said that there were three council members who did not vote for the ratification, “… kasi hindi naman natin po maiwasan na may mga opposition or sabihin na natin na salungat yung opinion with regard to this Lease Contract with XRC.”
Wacnang noted that one of the reasons for her not signing the contract’s ratification was the conditions in the SP resolution that have not been met.
“One, because the conditions that we’ve set in our resolution - conditions 1-8 kasi yon - some of the conditions have not been stated in the Lease Contract that was provided to us. Kaya nga tinatanong din namin kung nasa’n na po yung copy nung kontrata so that hindi naman po kami mag-base dun sa mga Lease Contract na puro na may blanks pa. So that’s one of the reasons why I voted to defer the ratification of the contract until such time that nakita namin that conditions 1-8 ay nandun sa kontrata na final,” Wacnang explained.
The conditions stated in the SP resolution under question
1. Priority will be given to the current and legitimate stallholders after proper inventory;
2. P2M rent with an escalation of 5% every after five (5) years commencing on the 6th year of the contract;
3. The term of the agreement must be thirty (30) years after which the structures will be owned by the City Government of Tabuk;
4. Conducive space for ambulant vendors will be provided;
5. Real property tax on the building will be paid by the XRC to the Local Government Unit during the lease period;
6. Rental fees to be collected from the dry and the wet sections will be based on the Market Code;
7. Temporary stalls must be provided for the vendors during the construction period;
8. The final contract will be subject to the ratification of the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
“So yun po yung reason ko and I also want to reiterate my position in public. So actually my question po is dun po sa copy of the Lease Contract, the final Lease Contract so that may basehan po kasi kami na mag-explain dun sa tao (kung) ano ho nangyari dun sa deliberation namin sa Sangguniang Panlungsod. Thank you,” Wacnang said.
Excerpt of XRC’s responses to Wacnang
XRC Head of Business Development Ismael Bayato meantime answered Wacnang’s query informing that there is a ratified contract “with the provisions that you are asking and the amendments, and it’s with the Local Government yung signed contract. Pero we have to admit, medyo na-delay din kami ng pagbalik sa kanila, because of the pandemic.”
Bayato: “So while mga lockdown, prinocess na namin yung mga necessary permits na pwedeng gawin.”
Bayato: “I can assure you po na pwede po namin kayong i-provide-an po ng copy. Meron po akong E-file, meron pong file din sa City Admin, at I’m sure nagbigay din po ako sa City Information Office ng copy po ng signed contract.”
Wacnang: “Okay, thank you sir for that comment. Gusto lang po kasi sanang hingin yung contract because it’s one of the sources of misunderstanding probably between the parties because they could not see the full contract kasi yun din ang hinihingi sa amin, and ‘pag humihingi naman po kami sa executive, wala rin naman pong parang signed. I do not know if that’s the final form or what, so we’re not sure. So this is probably one of the sources of misunderstanding that’s why may mga issues na un-resolved on both parties kaya maybe - thank you for your comment a while ago - and sana ma-provide-an kami nung final copy of the contract na notarized so that we can have an avenue to explain to our constituents.”
Bayato: “Bukas na bukas po, ipapadala po namin sa office ninyo.”
As of this writing, Wacnang said she has not received yet a copy of the lease contract.
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