The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Negros Occidental and the Philippine Contractors Association of Negros will light candles at the steps of the Negros Occidental provincial Capitol in Bacolod City at 6 p.m. today to “mourn the death” of the AyalaLand investment in Bacolod City.

Other Bacolod and Negros Occidental business groups are also joining the candle-lighting protest to mourn the loss of the AyalaLand investment that would have brought billions of pesos and thousands of jobs to the province, Frank Carbon, Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry president, said.

In a statement that it sent out through text messages yesterday, HRANO called on Negrenses to join the candle-lighting rites at the steps of the Capitol today to mourn the pull-out of Ayala Land from developing the P7.7 hectare property at the back of the Capitol.

“This translates not only to loss of jobs and business opportunities to thousands but also sets back our efforts to make Bacolod and Negros a major tourism destination,” HRANO said.

PCAN, in behalf of its 8,000 workers and family dependents, said it will also join the candle-lighting rites also “to mourn the death of the Ayala investment.”

Danny Yee, PCAN head, said they are calling on all those who love Negros Occidental and Bacolod City, to join the candle lighting that is an expression of their indignation at the huge loss of the AyalaLand project.

Projects like that are not like popcorn, you do not come across them easily, he said.

On Friday, Gov. Alfredo Marañon said it was a very sad day for Negros and Bacolod City,as AyalaLand Inc. had withdrawn its P6 billion development plan for the 7.7-hectare provincial government property in Bacolod City.

He said the withdrawal was due to the non issuance of the non issuance of the Commission on Audit ruling on the deed of conditional sale and contract of lease of the property to ALI by the Capitol that it had submitted for review in July last year yet.

On Thursday, Marañon received a letter from ALI senior vice president Emilio Tumbocon, informinghim that ALI was withdrawing from the project awarded to it by the Capitol on July 20, 2011.

Jorge Miguel Marcó, Ayala Corporate Communications head, in a statement, said “To clarify, we are not unilaterally pulling out. However, after more than a year since the property was awarded toAyala Landfor development, we are unable to pursue the project on account of the delays and legal disputes that continue to threaten its implementation, through no fault of ours. As a publicly listed company with shareholders to answer to, we cannot operate in such uncertain conditions. We thus informed the Governor that we are open to discussing the possibility of a mutual disengagement from the project.”

Marañon yesterday asked what disengagement is there to talk about if they have withdrawn from the project.

Marco,in August last year, saidthey planned to develop the 7.7-hectare property of the Capitol into an integrated mixed-used civic and commercial district that will combine the center of government with commercial and residential use, making it the new growth center of Metro Bacolod and Negros Occidental.

The Capitol Civic Center would encompass retail, office and hotel, a multi-use convention and events venue, and a residential commercial zone, he said.

It would also include the development of Capitol Park, he added.

Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia, meanwhile, said he is confident other investors will come to Bacolod.

Bacolod is a magnet for investors, we can always bounce back, he said.

Bacolod Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson said the AyalaLand investment would have been a big boost to the economy of Bacolod City but it is its prerogative to pull out.

It would have brought in a lot of money and jobs to the city, he said, but also added that other investors are bound to come in.

Negros Occidental Board Member Patrick Lacson said the effect of AyalaLand’s withdrawal means loss of opportunity now.

“But then i'm sure if the reason they withdrew wasn't the feasibility of the location and property, then I'm so sure that other investors would be interested... I don't think this has any impact on our local political situation, it's simply a big development opportunity we lost,” he said.

“The provincial officials, including myself, must study and learn from all this… And may we move on, instead of dwelling on the situation and remain negative,” he added.*CPG

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