TACLOBAN CITY – A new bus terminal-cum-commercial center is among the centerpiece projects of Mayor Alfredo “Bejo” Romualdez next year.

The city mayor said that the construction of the proposed bus terminal-cum-commercial center, which is to rise on a seven –hectare land at Abucay district her, woul2d copst P300 million.

“The project will be funded through bond flotation scheme,” Romualdez told Leyte Samar Daily Express.

The project, Romualdez said, is aimed at solving “the myriads of problems confronting the city at this time.”

“I want this project to be completed within my (last term) as mayor of this city. With the completion of this new bus terminal and commercial center, the myriads of problems confronting the city would be addressed,” he told Express.

Foremost of these problems, the city mayor clarified, were a “more suitable and more modern” bus terminal and the generation of income and employment in the city.

It was learned from Romualdez that initial ground works had already started in the area which was once the city’s main dumping ground. The city government early in this year closed the area for the purpose of converting the more than seven-hectare land into a new bus terminal-cum-business center.

Aside from this project, Romualdez told Express that the construction of the 5, 400 – seating capacity Tacloban Astrodome would be finished next year. He said the more than P92 million public market is now ready for occupancy.

The city mayor added that with the construction of a bigger and modern bus terminal, the city would now serve better the increasing number of vehicles that come to the city.

He lamented that the present city bus terminal, aside from allegedly become “poorly maintained” by its present operator, is no longer enough to accommodate then volume of vehicles that use it.

The said bus terminal, locate along Quezon Boulevard of this city, would be used as a parking-for-free area, Romualdez said.

The maintenance o-f the said bus terminal is under court litigation as the city government had nullified the contract o-f lease it earlier granted to the Far East Marketing of Franciso “Kiki” Romualdez.

The city government claimed that the contract of lease was “to the disadvantage of the city government” among other reasons. The operator, however, questioned before the court the nullification of its contract.

The city mayor, meantime, said that with the construction of anew bus terminal, economic activities in the area would also result.

This is because, Romualdez said, a commercial center would also be constructed. And according to him, many business establishment owners had signified to lease a space and operate their business in the said area.

“This, undoubtedly, would help address our employment problem. We have to admit that the unemployment problem of the city remains high. This one area that my administration would like to give solutions,” he told Express.

According to him, while he had made some initiatives to give solutions on the unemployment problem of the city, “these were not enough.”

“We have as little employment opportunities with so many job seekers. And majority of these job seekers are not from this city but from other parts of the region,” he said.