THE presentation of the general concept of the general concept on the re-development of the Central Business District I was held at the session hall of the Sanggunian Panlungsod before a chosen group representing almost all sectors in the City of Naga last Tuesday, January 16, 2008.
The presentation was prompted by the prospects that by next year a branch of the giant SM chain of malls will be in operation in Naga City. It is contended that the presence of SM in the Central Business District II will severely militate against the stores and other commercial establishments in Naga’s old business center. SM is perceived to be like a giant magnet that will draw to its coffers the money of all buyers from and outside Naga City.
To meet this impending threat to the old business establishments in Naga which are situated in the Central Business District I, the Local Government of Naga City has decided to embark on a re-development program for the Central Business District I which shall be operational in time for the Peñafrancia fiesta in 2009, which, as the Vice-Mayor very well noted, is just a few months before the 2010 elections. The City has extended the area to be re-developed to include those bounded by the Naga River, from the Dalhogan ni Ina up to barangay Peñafrancia to embrace the old Peñafrancia Shrine, the Camarines Sur National High School, the Universidad de Sta. Isabel, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Holy Rosary Seminary, Barlin Street and Igualdad (now J. Hernandez) Street.
In the plan are concepts on making vibrant the commerce in the CBD 1. A night market and open-air eateries or coffee shops, a more historic design and installation of historical markers, a clean-up drive against unsightly cable wires and illegal vendors as well as a more disabled-friendly sidewalks have been suggested. These would make up for the weakness of the district when it comes to night life which is very much alive along Magsaysay Avenue. The seeming absence of night activities in the Central Business District I has been compounded by the presence in that area of almost all banks in Naga City, which open at 9:00 in the morning and close at 3:00 in the afternoon.
The presentation was impressively interesting and alive inasmuch as there is much at stake in the Central Business District I.
For one, what is at stake is the tendency to altogether forget the past and historical landmarks in the City found in CBD 1. Its re-development is the moment the writers and researchers on local history have been waiting for even as time and again they have lamented the frigidity, hence the irresponsibility, of the City Government to engage in making latent the rich history and culture of the City. Making Naga’s history alive and vibrant in the CBD 1 is a wave of fresh air — a reverberant, revitalizing and humbling information to make the young of Naga proud of their glorious past to visitors of the City.
For another, what is at stake is the prospect that small businesses will undoubtedly have a Chinaman’s chance in competing against the giant SM and that the Central Business District I will soon be a dying zone, an event that has overtaken that district in Manila called Escolta. The prospect carries a chilling effect that the existing malls in Naga City are not enough to meet the needs and social standards of the residents in Naga City.
For still another, what is at stake is the leadership of Mayor Jesse M. Robredo and of the Sanggunian Panlungsod who have encouraged the entry of the SM branch in Naga City. It cannot be avoided that the blame has to be laid on the Local Government. That is elementary, our dear Watson. With the permit given to SM, the Local Government has practically opened a can of difficulties and developments. How the Local Government will give harmony to these seemingly conflicting elements -- that can break or make the stay in power of Mayor Jesse M. Robredo in City Hall — before the elections in 2010 is something to watch.
