MAYOR Jane Censoria Cajes-Yap of this capital city has scrapped the planned P12-billion, 153-ha. island-type reclamation project along the narrow strait between Panglao island and this city.
“We will not continue all activities pertaining to the Tagbilaran City waterfront reclamation project,” the mayor said during the press conference yesterday (Nov. 24) held at Bohol Tropics Resort, which was attended by city officials, including Vice-Mayor Atty. Adam Relson Jala, the city council members and new barangay chairmen.
The said project is an unsolicited plan proposed by the Tagbilaran Waterfront Development Corporation composed of Lite Shipping Inc., Lite Properties Inc., Aldama Mining Resources Inc., Cebu Landmasters Inc., Ulticon Builders Inc.
She said that she reached the decision after a series of public consultation in previous days with the barangay folks in barangays Mansasa, Poblacion I, Poblacion II, Cogon, Taloto and Ubujan, where the planned project traversed.
The decision came despite the economic benefits the city may get, like the increase of real property tax from just P120 million/year to P800 million. This could have a positive impact to various public services, such as social, health, infrastructure, scholarship, senior citizens’ aid and others, she said.
Aside from this, the project could have generated an estimated 57,000 jobs, half of the city population, she said.
She said that there’s a big but and that’s the environment concern that must be addressed since there’s no yet concrete study of the environmental impact study (EIS) that maybe required by the environment agency.
She said that the said study is very crucial in the determination whether or not the planned project is beneficial.
She also said that she was moved by Tagbilaran diocese Bishop Alberto Uy’s concern over the environment.
Earlier last week, the bishop expressed opposition to the project unless some concerns, like the environment, security and for whom the project intended, are addressed.
The mayor stood pat on her promise that she will always listen to the people’s voice through a participative and consultative governance.
Prelate: For whom the reclamation project?
Bishop Alberto Uy of the Tagbilaran City diocese expressed his opposition to the “unsolicited” proposal for reclamation project.
The prelate who clarified that he’s voicing his objection to the project not as a bishop but an ordinary citizen raised the question: For whom the project intended? And what kind of development. This is one of his worries.
The proponent, Tagbilaran Waterfront Development Corp (TWDC) presented its pet project, the P12 billion worth of 153-hectare of island-type reclamation along the said sea channel during the public consultation called by the city government sometime last week.
“Di ko pabor,” (I am not in favor), the bishop told the crowd that attended the first public consultation yesterday held at JJs Seafood Village resto, which sets on a reclamation. But that his opposition on the project is said unless his worries are answered reasonably.
Another is “security.” The prelate is concerned on the sinkholes that Bohol is known for following the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in October 5, 2013. What guarantee that the project will stand on the solid ground?
“The discovery of multiple sinkholes by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in various parts of Bohol after the M7.2 earthquake that jolted the province in 2013 accordingly connotes the vulnerability of the ground to collapse,” he said.
And primary of his concerns is the environmental destruction. He said that once the project commenced the environment is damaged and it is irreversible.
“While the proposed reclamation project promises a huge return of financial investment; but a development initiative such as this, which advances economic growth but compromises the ability of the future generation to meet their own needs due to ecosystems destruction, is not sustainable.”
The prelate added that “pressing call of the time is synergising economic development with environmental conservation. Sustainable development aims to meet human development goals while also enabling natural systems to provide necessary natural resources and ecosystem services to humans.”
City’s Stand
City Mayor Jane Censoria Cajes-Yap told media interview in the sidelines that she initiated the said public consultation to gather the pulse of the city residents. She said that the project is an “unsolicited” proposal from the TWDC.
She asked the residents to help the city to decide, hence, the series of public consultation was launched in the barangays. And she assured the city that whatever the voice of the people over the said project, it is also her voice.
Environmentalist Opposition
Environment preservation advocate lawyer Gigi Biliran told media interview that she opposed the project. She said that the said project has been floated around in 1996 and she already objected to it. Biliran said that she was unaware that it seemed it’s resurrected now.
She dismissed the idea that reclamation in other countries as models for Tagbilaran City after the presentation of the reclamation project. One aspect that the project may bring is flooding, she said.
In a separate interview in the sidelines of the public consultation, the project proponent TWDC lawyer Nick Conti described the opposition to the project as an “emotional issue.” He did not elaborate.
He said that they just learned that Bohol island is designated in May this year as Global Geopark the first in the country by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
They would consider this in the process like the public consultation initiated by the city government, he said.
The proponent, Tagbilaran Waterfront Development Corp. (TWC), is composed of Lite Shipping Inc., Lite Properties Inc., Aldama Mining Resources Inc., Cebu Landmasters Inc., Ulticon Builders Inc.
