THE mayor of Cordova, Cebu is confident that her town will become a center for trade, education and sports once the 1,500-hectare reclamation project the SM Group of Companies will be finished.

“I hope that all the documentations for the reclamation project will be completed by SM this year. The project will be under PPP (Public-Private Partnership),” said Mayor Mary Therese Sitoy-Cho.

Sitoy-Cho said that under a new policy, 60 percent of the 1,500 hectares will be the share of the developer. The other 40 percent will be shared by the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA), Cebu Provincial Government and the Cordova local government unit (LGU).

Regardless of the percentage of share, Sitoy-Cho said they will construct a new municipal hall, which can be converted into a City Hall once Cordova will become a component city. This is with a matching plaza.

“We will expand our Cordova College considering that we have a free tuition law for college students. We are also inviting the University of the Philippines to construct their own building in the area. We are also putting up a football field,” Sitoy-Cho said.

Sitoy-Cho is confident that once the reclamation and the third bridge will be completed, the town will become a city and a lone congressional district.

Earlier, Secretary Adelino Sitoy of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) said that he wants to construct an oval and a sports complex that is bigger than the Cebu City Sports Complex that can host international sporting events.

Sitoy said that they were briefed by the SM Group that they will convert the reclamation area into a five islands at a distance of 200 meters each.

There will be bridges in-between islands and it will have a feel of the canals of Venice, Italy.

“This is good because Cordova fishermen can still pass under the bridges from their homes to the sea,” Sitoy said.

Sitoy is confident that the once sleepy Cordova will be a livable city soon with the operation of the third bridge between his town and Cebu City by 2021.

“Mas alegre if we can realize the long- delayed Cordova, Cebu-Getafe, Bohol Bridge. Both bridges will compliment each other,” Sitoy said.