Megawide welcomes House probe on Carbon market: We have nothing to hide

This is an artist’s impression of a redeveloped Carbon Public Market | Photo courtesy of Megawide Construction Corporation

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Megawide Construction Corp. will not be shying away from a Congressional probe on the development of the Carbon Market.

Louis Ferrer, Megawide’s executive director for infrastructure, said that should the probe push through, they would cooperate willingly.

After all, the corporation has nothing to hide and has passed through the necessary process in the joint venture agreement.

“Wala man tay gikahadlokan. We went through the right process. Kung naa silay pangutana, ganahan pa gani mi kay murag mapromote ang Carbon,” said Ferrer.

(We have nothing to fear. We went through the right process. If they have questions, we would want that because it would seem to help promote Carbon.)

He said that the congressional probe would also allow Megawide to show the government that their plans and projects went through the proper process.

This is also not Megawide’s first private partnership with a local government unit (LGU) as they have done so with the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA).

“Parehas pud na sa airport. Sa una, daghang issues ba, pero karon proud na sila sa airport. Mao sad na among hope sa Carbon ba. Mosugod lang mi nya later on mosunod ra sila,” said Ferrer.

(That is the same as the airport. At first, there were a lot of issues, but now they are proud of the airport. That is what we are hoping for in Carbon. We will just have to start the project and later on they would follow.)

The Makabayan bloc recently filed a two-page resolution seeking an investigation into the P5.5 billion Carbon modernization project.

Representatives Carlos Isagani Zarate, Ferdinand Gaite and Eufemia Cullamat of Bayan Muna Partylist, France Castro of ACT Teachers Partylist, Arlene Brosas of Gabriela Women’s Party, and Sara Jane Elago of Kabataan Partylist argued that the project disregards the welfare of the people especially the vendors.

The legislators claimed that the agreement was signed without consultations of all stakeholders including the market vendors who they said strongly opposed the project.

Opposition councilors also claimed to have given Mayor Edgardo Labella’s authority to sign the joint venture without fully grasping the stipulations of the deal.

Acting Mayor Michael Rama said he had called a meeting with all stakeholders of the project.

Publicly questioning the project in the past, while presiding over the City Council as the vice mayor, Rama said he would want the project to continue only if both historical concerns and vendors’ concerns would be addressed.

“The thrust is curative. I can assure you, og naa man ko sa konseho ug karon acting (mayor) ko, I will finish this matter and this matter will be presented to the council whether I will be back as presiding officer, as full-fledged vice mayor or I will continue to become the acting mayor,” said Rama in a recent interview.

(The thrust is curative. I can assure you that if I am at the City Coucil and now acting (mayor), I will finish this matter, and this matter will be presented to the council, whether I will be back as presiding officer, as full-fledged vice mayor or I will continue to be acting mayor.)

The acting mayor said that he would immediately inform the public should resolutions be achieved.

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