A proposal to transfer Cagayan de Oro City Hall from its current location to a more accessible site to the public gained some traction in the 20th City Council yesterday.
The proposal was floated by administration Councilor Edgar Cabanlas, who said in his special report during Monday afternoon’s regular session that it was his ‘dream’ that City Hall and all its offices be located in one area where the public can access all its services in one place.
“Let’s look at Tagum City Hall in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, and even El Salvador City in Misamis Oriental, all their offices are located in one place,” Cabanlas said.
Cabanlas cited the ongoing business registration and renewal of permits as one reason for transferring City Hall, saying people have to go to different offices in different locations to secure their requirements.
“We have a City Hall where our offices are scattered all over. Our City Health Office is located in Cogon, our City Fire Department is located in another site,” Cabanlas said.
As one of the fastest-growing urban centers in the country, Cabanlas said Cagayan de Oro City should have a City Hall that’s a one-stop shop center where all of its services can be accessible in one place.
“All of City Hall’s services and offices should be accessible and presentable to everyone,” Cabanlas said, adding that business owners find it difficult to park their vehicles near City Hall.
“Right now, those applying for business registration and renewal of permits cannot even park in Divisoria (the nearest area). They have to park someplace and then walk to City Hall. I think it’s high time for us to study the possibility of transferring to another site,” Cabanlas said.
He proposed that the committees on ways and means, development and planning, infrastructure and landed estate study the proposal further.
For her part, Vice Mayor Jocelyn Rodriguez said the proposal should be referred to Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy for further study.
The council also agreed to grant authorization to Mayor Uy to order the concerned City Hall departments to conduct a study on a proposed City Hall transfer.
However, Councilor John Michael Seno said the current City Hall buildings and site should not be sold.
“Rather it should be used for other purposes (as may be determined by the mayor based on an evaluation). City Hall’s buildings have historical value…but I agree that taxpayers are inconvenienced (by our current location) and complain that they pay the taxes but find it difficult to avail of our services,” said Seno, who chairs the committee on infrastructure.
While Vice Mayor Rodriguez agreed and said City Hall’s buildings are old and inaccessible to persons with disabilities, Councilor Romeo Calizo said any transfer plans should be included in the city’s medium to long-term development plans.
“We should communicate this to the executive department because it involves land use and development,” he said. (Stephen Capillas of City Information Office)