CFI told: Follow the process in Carbon market project

CFI seaside park design.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Joint Venture Selection Committee (JVSC) is urging the Cebu CFI Community Cooperative to follow the process of the Swiss Challenge in order to get their proposal for the Carbon Market development approved.

City Administrator Floro Casas, Jr., who is also the chairperson of the JVSC, told CDN Digital that they were only following the protocols set by the Joint-Venture ordinance passed by the City Council years back.

“We are guided by that ordinance. Mao bitaw na nga naay (That is why there is a) Swiss challenge to give other parties a chance to submit a comparative or superior offer sa awardan sa (to the group to be awarded with the) project. In this particular case, amo nang gistrictly (we strictly) follow,” said Casas.

The city government published the Swiss Challenge in general circulation twice, allowing the CFI enough time to counter the project through the proper procedure.

This includes the submission of a notarized letter of intent to join the Swiss Challenge within the time period provided by the city government, in the case from October 6 to October 16, 2020, or a period of 10 days.

Read: Megawide proposes multi-use, mid-rise complex for Carbon Market

The JVSC denied the allegations that they gave conglomerate, Megawide, preference over the project, saying they only followed the process set by the City Council.

This is the only way for the JVSC to propose a legitimate and unquestionable joint-venture-agreement to the Cebu City Council and to Mayor Edgardo Labella.

Read: Megawide: Our credit position is good enough for Carbon Market dev’t

“We have given them 10 days to comply for this letter of intent. The 10 days for that notarized document, not for the proposal itself. If they comply with the notarized letter of intent, then we will give them a copy of Megawide’s proposal,” said Casas.

Despite being able to present to the City Council CFI’s plans, the JVSC cannot officially declare that they have received the CFI proposal yet as they did not go through the process.

Read: CFI to Cebu City government: Give us chance to develop Carbon Market

Casas also confirmed that they accepted a P50,000 payment from CFI because the cooperative insisted on paying the amount, but the City Treasurer’s Office placed a condition that they will only release the documents if the letter of intent is available.

“We advised them nga wala man niy gamit ang P50,000 kay wala pa sila nagsubmit sa other requirements. Wala gyod to sila nicomply,” he said.

(We advised them that the P50,000 has no use because they had not yet submitted the other documents.)

Read: CFI to take to court unreleased JVA for Carbon Market

The City Administrator urged CFI to follow the process if they wished to undertake the Swiss Challenge. He assured the public that the JVSC would give the contenders a chance and no preference would be given to any of them.

In previous statements, CFI said they would be filing charges of estafa against the city government for accepting their money but failing to release the documents.

CFI Chairperson Winston Garcia said that they could not submit a counter-proposal if they could not see the JVA proposed by Megawide.

City Councilor Leah Japson called on the JVSC to even the playing field for all contenders so that the city could choose the best proposal for the development of the Carbon Market. /dbs