P56-M Commercial Center To Rise In Cotabato City

Cotabato City Mayor Muslim Sema speaks with a Muslim woman during a medical mission held inside the CIty Hall. Sema signs an agreement with the Growth With Equity in Mindanao, of the United States Agency for International Development, for the construction of a P56-million Cotabato City Commercial Center. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

COTABATO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 02 Feb) – A P56-million commercial center is expected to rise in Cotabato City after the local government and the Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM II) Program signed a memorandum of agreement to build one of the biggest structure here.

The construction would take at least six month, said Cotabato City Mayor Muslimin Sema. "We are happy to announce the construction of this Cotabato City Commercial Center, with the help of GEM II, and we are optimistic that more investments would come to our beautiful place," Sema told the Mindanao Examiner.

Sema and Carlos Canda Tan, GEM II deputy program manager, both signed the agreement this week in Cotabato City. Under the agreement, GEM II will shoulder the main bulk of the project cost amounting to P42.64 million while the local government shall put up an equity fund totaling P14.21 million.

Just recently, the City Council has authorized Sema to secure a loan amounting to P6.2 million as counterpart money for the project.

GEM II will be primarily responsible for site development including concreting of interior road system, drainage system, potable water line, landscaping & lighting, and construction of 60 units (30 sq.m. each) stalls, toilets, parking area, fountain, an open space for gatherings, an administration office, passenger waiting shed and perimeter fence.

The city government already cleared the proposed 1.5-hectare site of the Cotabato City Commercial Center of illegally-built houses and structures and had relocated tenants to Tamontaka 1 and some portions of Malagapas Resettlement Phase 2 here.

This month, it will begin embankment works that would cost P6.25 million as its major counterpart for the project. (Abdullah Cusain)