CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – “It is a sale contract with a restriction in it. It is solely for Paskuhan Village use – for tourism purposes – as it the reason for conversion of the property from agriculture to what it is used now as Paskuhan Village.”
Thus, said former provincial board member Robert David in an email from his enclave abroad.
He explained that the conversion of the Paskuhan Village from its agricultural classification was recommended for approval by then President Cory Aquino and approved for conversion by then Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) secretary and now Senator Miriam Defensor- Santiago.
Gov reacts
As this developed, Gov. Lilia “Nanay Baby” Pineda also expressed her sadness on the reported sale of the 9.3-hectare Paskuhan Village property to SM Development Corp. (SMDC).
The governor said she had earlier written a letter to Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) General Manager Mark T. Lapid on the province’s intention to manage the Paskuhan Village but it was apparently disapproved.
She said the provincial government should have been given the opportunity to manage the property because it has its history with the Kapampangans: “…ing Paskuhan, atin yang kasaysayan yan king kekatang balayan.”
The governor said she intended to use theproperty as a showroom for exporters and Kapampangan products. “Malungkut ku kasi megumpisa ya ing property keng probinsya at inayus ne ning late Gov. (Bren) Guiao.
Sana i manage ne ning Capitol para keng kapakanan da reng exporter ampo reng kekatamung Pampanga products (I am sad because the property started with the province of Pampanga and it was the late Gov. Guiao whoinitiated it.
I was hoping the Capitol could manage it for the welfare of exporters and Pampanga products),” she said. Pineda said her plan was to make Paskuhan Village as a showroom and center of commerce – “bagsakan” – similar to a “trading post” where people from central and northern Luzon would no longer have to go to Divisoria in Manila to buy products at base prices.
“Makalungkut mu eya meg-materialize ing kekaming negosasyon (It saddens me that our negotiation to acquire it did not materialize),” she lamented.
More reactions
Party List Butil Rep. Agapito “Pete” Guanlao said he had prior information that the TIEZA was looking for investors to manage the Paskuhan because they can no longer sustain its operations. “The legacy of the Paskuhan Village will now go for naught. This is sad,” he said.
“That’s the price of money, but if we follow Pope Francis,he said not everything is material things,” he added. A provincial official said Pampanga should have been given the courtesy and the “right of first refusal” in the sale considering that it is a symbol of the province. Rep. Oscar S. Rodriguez (3rd district, Pampanga) is mum on the sale as he refused to comment.
However, Rodriguez said he will look into the background of how the property was acquired among others and hopefully the plan of how the new owners would use the property.
No reaction
Mayor Edwin Santiago of the City of San Fernando where Paskuhan Village is located did not return calls for his reaction. Meanwhile, David said Paskuhan Village is the first DAR conversion of agricultural lands to other purposes. “As I remember it, it is the only conversion signed and approved by the then secretary Miriam Defensor- Santiago,” he said.
