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Wednesday, November 03, 2004
Talisay's claim to SRP land worries Japan
By Gingging A. Campaņa
CEBU CITY -- Worried by delays in the project it has funded, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) is asking Environment Secretary Michael Defensor to help in the immediate issuance of a title for the South Reclamation Properties (SRP).
The title will enable the Cebu City Government to proceed with the development of the SRP, in accordance with its loan agreement with JBIC.
JBIC chief representative Osamu Murata, who learned about Talisay City's claim on part of the SRP, wrote Defensor last Oct. 15.
"We are surprised to know that there is now an adverse claim from a nearby local government unit (LGU) on some portions of the reclaimed properties. The understanding of JBIC is that the reclaimed lands are owned by the Cebu City Government since it is the one that initiated this project and contracted the loan with the Land Bank of the Philippines to implement it," Murata's letter read.
Why only now?
"We cannot fully comprehend why the other LGU will come forward to make such claim only after the project was completed."
Murata clarified, though, that JBIC does not wish to intervene in the claim, "as this is an internal issue within the Philippine side."
"We are not in the position to judge the validity of the claim of the other LGU. We therefore hope that Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) can resolve this matter swiftly and decisively so that this would not stall the smooth development of the reclaimed properties," he said.
He explained to Defensor that JBIC is concerned about the delay because the Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan that JBIC administers comes from taxpayers' money in Japan.
"If the Japanese public will eventually find out that a project that was financed by their money is not being used for the intended purpose, this would have severe repercussions on JBIC operations in the Philippines," Murata said.
Ties at risk
Cebu City still has to pay 11,991,999,997 yen to JBIC. So far, it has paid 299,866,799 yen.
SRP manager Nigel Paul Villarete sent a copy of Murata's letter to Talisay City Mayor Socrates Fernandez.
Attached to Murata's letter is Villarete's interpretation of JBIC's concerns.
"It is just unfortunate that in claiming ownership over a portion of the SRP, your City Government may have placed the Philippine relationship with the Government of Japan at risk. We sincerely hope you will reconsider your position on this matter," Villarete said.
Talisay's objection to Cebu City's application for a presidential proclamation of the SRP as a special economic zone and for a title of the reclaimed properties with DENR has delayed the project's timetable by two years.
"In the absence of the title, we cannot market the land to potential investors and as a result, we are paying almost half a million pesos a day in interest payments alone without any source of revenue," Villarete lamented.
(November 3, 2004 issue)
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