A Japanese investor is proposing to lease the Governor's Lodge at the Mambukal Resort in Murcia, Negros Occidental, to build a nursing home for elderly Japanese that will also be a training ground for caregivers to be sent to Japan, Provincial Administrator Enrique Pinongan said yesterday.

The unsolicited proposal from Japanese investors represented by Hideaki Tanahashi of One Asia, Japan, and endorsed by Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. to the Negros Occidental Sangguniang Panlalawigan was heard by the SP committees on Finance, Laws and Tourism yesterday, Pinongan said.

It was agreed at the hearing that the proposal be referred back to the Governor's Office, through the Committee on Awards, to undergo a process covered under the unsolicited proposal scheme, he said.

Under this, the proposal will be published by the province so probable competitors can compete, after which the original proponent will have to match the counter proposals for the lease to be awarded to it, Pinongan added.

If the award is made, it will be referred back to the SP that will then have to grant authority to the governor to sign the contract, he said.

The Japanese group wants to lease the area where the Governor's Lodge is located for 25 years, renewable every 10 years thereafter, at P100,000 a month or P1.2 million annually, with an escalation of 5 percent every five years, he said.

They will construct a two-storey building with a hot sulfur dipping pool for retirees to enjoy, the proposal states. The construction will take about one year, with a maximum investment of P40 million.

The total land area of the Governor's Lodge is 968 square meters, Ellen Marie Jalandoni, resort manager, said.

Based on Provincial Tax Ordinance No. 11-001 in 2011, Section 30 on Rental Lots, Mambukal Resort will fall under Outside City Proper, or in Municipality, which has a monthly rental fee or lease value of P20 per square meter. This means that rent for the 968 square meters would be P19,360 a month, or P232,320 per year, she said.

Thus, the proposal to lease the Governor's Lodge for P100,000 per month is very advantageous to the provincial government, she said.

In 2013, the revenue for the area amounted to P104,080 but this year, the resort management opted not to open the Governor's Lodge to guests since it needs repairs, she said.

The proposal of One Asia, Japan, is very timely since they will develop and utilize the vicinity, she said.

Tanahashi said they see the Philippines as one of the best countries in Asia where the elderly from Japan can stay, pointing out that Filipinos around the world are known for their excellence and dedication to work.*CPG

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