The negotiated proposal of a Manila-based firm to build 10,000 housing units in Bacolod for informal settlers was accepted by the city government at 5 p.m. Monday, February 6, Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said.
The proposal was made by WRS Holdings Inc., City Administrator Pacifico Maghari III said.
The next step will be the publication of the proposal and the invitation to other bidders to offer a Swiss challenge this February, he said.
The Swiss challenge system allows third parties to make better offers for a project and the original proponent then has the right to counter or match any superior offers.
Benitez said an initial 10,000 housing units will be built, to be followed by more since their data shows that Bacolod has 50,000 informal settlers.
So far 16,000 potential housing beneficiaries have been interviewed or are up for interview, Benitez said.
Benitez said steps have been taken to bring down the cost of the housing units so they will be affordable to the beneficiaries.
The mayor, at a press conference Monday, said the city government is also considering entering into a public-private partnership (PPP) to develop the Manokan Country into a prime tourist attraction.
“We want to improve it…We are looking at the proposals coming from the PPP proponent,” he said.
SM Prime Holdings Inc. has presented a revised unsolicited proposal for the development of the Manokan Country and the Vendors’ Plaza to the city government.
“We will present this to the stakeholders and then finalize it after,” he said.
If the SM proposal is accepted by the city government it will also be subjected to a Swiss challenge, Benitez.*