TAGBILARAN City Vice-Mayor Atty. Adam Relson Jala minced no words of urging a halt and conduct an investigation of the on-going development the construction of regional cultural hub and other projects at Mt. Banat-I in barangay Bool.
“I also propose to revisit our reinvestigation on the on-going developments at Banat-i Hill,” he said in his privilege speech during its city council session he presided over.
The call for environmental protection and preservation has surfaced once again for perceived fear of destruction when flooding occurred after the devastation of Cebu as a result of the typhoon “Tino.”
He also urged “City Mayor Jane Yap to issue measures that prohibits any further works on
construction activities on Banat-I Hill that destroys the natural ecosystem existing on the area and further denudation of Banat-i.”
Expected to be invited in the probe in aid of legislation include representatives of the Provincial Government, Bohol Arts Culture and Heritage, DPWH Region VII, the contractor Jun Achacoso Construction, DENR, City Engineer, Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), and other offices and agencies that “could shed light” to Mt. Banat-i construction.
Jala also proposed for the conduct of an in-depth environmental study on the adverse effects of further denudation of Banat-I Hill relative to impact of climate change and the occurrence of super typhoons.
Jala said that the stoppage and investigation on Mt Banat-I projects are imperative so that it may not become a ghost to haunt the residents and the next generation.
“The ghost of Banat-i, Tagbilaran’s environmental Multo, is the disaster waiting to happen, a disaster we have seen in our neighboring province of Cebu during the aftermath of Typhoon Tino,” he pointed out.
City Mayor has provided the details of the development projects at Mt. Banat-i.
The project: is called the Construction of the Regional Cultural Hub located at Mt. Banat-i, Barangay Bool, Tagbilaran City. It has a land area of 5.1 hectares owned by the provincial government. The project proponent were the provincial government and congressional office during the previous administration.
The project is contracted by JA Achacoso Enterprise & General Services funded by the DPWH region seven. The entire project if completed is estimated to cost the government P2.3 billion (2023 estimate), but for now it already spent₱134,899,899.7 for phase one.
Quoting DPWH 7, the Mayor said that there is no funding for the continuation of the project, nor in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2026 and the General Appropriations Act for 2026.
But lobbying for funding may be possible. Jala vividly described this as just like the 3rd Tagbilaran-Panglao bridge that has been halted for lack of funding. (Ric Obedencio)
