Camacho: BCS swap site advantageous to school
BAYAMBANG—The new site for the Bayambang Central School (BCS) located in Brgy. Magsaysay is worth more than P200-million, and the swap deal was advantageous to the town’s parents and students.
This was assured by Mayor Ricardo Camacho in reaction to the claim of some sectors opposed to the permanent transfer that the swap deal entered into between the town and the owner/developer of the new school compound, is grossly disadvantageous to the municipal government.
“The old BCS lot is only worth over P130-million,” the mayor said.
According to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) evaluation for the years 2011-2014, the 28,458 square meters of the old site located in Brgy. Zone II is worth P130,906,800 at P4,600 per square meter.
Camacho belied reports that the valuation of the old campus could reach P620-million at P20,000 per square meter.
“We have not seen nor heard any land anywhere in the town worth that much,” he remarked.
The old BCS along the national highway lot is owned by the LGU.
Camacho clarified the 3,000 square meters of the 3.1-hectare property will be owned by the local government unit (LGU) its use, as stated in the memorandum of agreement between William Chua and the LGU.
Meanwhile, the BIR valuation for the 20,581 square meters of the new site is P3,500 per square meter, or P72,033,500.
The cost of the project includes the P9. 9 million spent for the construction of the town’s two storey-public market which was part of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed by Chua with the municipal government, said Provincial Legal Officer Geraldine Baniqued who is providing legal services to the municipality as part of her mandate under the Local Government Code.
At the same time, Baniqued pointed out that documents show that the lot where Chua built the school used to be owned by Gov. Amado Espino Jr. but it was sold to Chua sometime in 2010.
Camacho also pointed out that the new BCS with its fully-furnished 59 classrooms, principal’s office, supervisors office, teachers’ lounge, conference room, big library, three faculty rooms, Parents Teachers Association (PTA) room, canteen, gym, security guards’ quarters, and eight male/female comfort rooms is valued at P142,373,460 based on computation of structures per square meter.
Camacho said he is open to a congressional inquiry on the controversial swap deal.
“As far as I know, I did not violate any law in this transaction,” he said.
Last year, the BCS pupils and teachers were permanently transferred to the new site, by virtue of Executive Order 25, backed up by Sangguniang Bayan Resolution No. 46 but this was questioned by the some members of the BCS Parent-teachers Association.
In the meantime, Camacho said they are awaiting the court’s decision whether the transfer of the pupils to the new site built by Chua is permanent.
“The LGU will comply with whatever the decision is (of the Court of Appeals),” vowed the LGU legal counsel, Atty. Baniqued.
Baniqued said the Department of Education has not filed any comment despite the court’s order issued last Sept. 5 for them to reply within five days. (JRM/LVM)
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