Cost of gov’t center
reasonable – COA
BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO

 “Reasonable.”

That was what the Commission on Audit said in its report on the special audit on the construction of the new Bacolod City Government Center a copy of which was sent to Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia by COA chairman Reynaldo Villar in his letter dated April 1, 2009.

The “special audit” results jibe with the original audit report submitted earlier by the COA Regional Office signed by OIC-Regional Cluster Director Inocencio Cabahug Jr. that also described the construction cost of the new government center as “reasonable”, pursuant to COA Resolution No. 91-52.

A team of environmentalists from the United Kingdom and the Philippines who conducted a two-week biological expedition into the interior of the North Negros Natural Park are excited about their finds, which they have never seen before in other rainforests of the world.

Expedition leader James Sawyer said yesterday that their finds can make Filipinos proud that a globally important area is right at their doorstep.

Sawyer is a veteran of many similar expeditions to 25 countries including five years managing the Negros Rainforest Conservation Project.

Senator Mar Roxas and his mother, Judy Araneta Roxas, donated 7 hectares of land in Sitio Magsungay, Barangay Singcang, Bacolod, to Gawad Kalinga at signing rites at the new Bacolod Government Center, Saturday morning.

The land will enable GK to build 700 houses to benefit almost 4,000 people, who will no longer be squatters or informal settlers, GK founder Tony Meloto said.

The informal settlers on the donated land will be among the beneficiaries of the GK project, he said.