PETRON Corp. said last week it would closely coordinate with the transportation department in its plan to convert the former Pandacan oil depot into a food terminal.
“I will help in the name of public interest if that [the former Pandacan oil depot] will be converted into a public market, bagsakan ng pagkain, kagaya ng isda, gulay, meat,” Petron President Ramon S. Ang said.
He said it is best to convert the entire area into a public market, assuring goods to be sold there would be cheaper by 50 percent because of seamless and faster travel.
“Magmumura na ang delivery, kasi tollway-to-tollway na because we will have the connector road, TPLEx [Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway] and Nlex [North Luzon Expressway],” Ang added.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr), Ang said, must be on top of this. “The TOR [terms of reference] will be done by the DoTr. PNOC [Philippine National Oil Co.] will cooperate with the DoTr.”
“Nag-usap na kami,” Ang said, referring to Manila City Mayor Joseph E. Estrada. “What good is Pandacan if we don’t help in the masterplan?”
Petron, Pilipinas Shell and Caltex Philippines used to house their respective terminals within the 30-hectare property until they were ordered by the Supreme Court (SC) to cease operations at the site and vacate the area.
The SC ruled Manila City Ordinance 8187, which allowed the three oil companies to keep their oil depot in Pandacan, was unconstitutional and invalid.
However, neither the local government of Manila nor the DoTr owns the property. State-owned PNOC owns the 11.89-hectare property.
PNOC President Reuben Lista said Petron must coordinate with his office on this.
“They must talk to us. Their plan is okay, but they must talk to us because we own the land,” he said last week when sought for comment.
The Pandacan property was originally leased to Petron for 25 years from September 1, 1993 to August 31, 2018.
The 11.89-hectare land is part of the 33-hectare depot, which used to house the storage facilities and distribution terminals of the oil firms.
Lista said early this year PNOC plans to redevelop it.
“We have a property in Pandacan. Petron’s oil depot; that’s ours. We are also studying how to utilize it,” he said.
PNOC’s other property, which it wants to convert into various energy centers, includes a 19.22-hectare energy-supply base, of which 10.55 hectares are leased to its unit PNOC-Exploration Corp.; 4.27 hectares rented by Petron as bulk plant, while the remaining 4.4 hectares are hilly/eroded portions. These are located in Batangas.Lista said the rental fees paid by Petron for the use of PNOC’s land should be reviewed because “the amount they currently pay is only 10 percent of what should be paid.”
“But I am thankful Mr. Ang has recognized it needs to be re-assessed,” Lista added.
Ang said last week Petron is open to renegotiate with PNOC.
“It’s no problem. We are open to that. If there is a need to re-assess, then we are okay with it. Okay lang naman kung gusto nila taasan. But how do we determine? How to price it? Pa-appraise natin, pagawan natin ng evaluation sa third party. Pareho kami mag hire. I hire, they hire, then we show it to each other,” Ang said.