AT LEAST 120 residents signed a manifesto of appeal asking President Rodrigo Duterte to stop the Seafront City project in Barangay Tayud in Consolacion, Cebu, saying it will not only affect their livelihood but also their homes.
They are seeking the stoppage of the town’s 235.8-hectare reclamation project because their livelihood depends on the shipyard operations.
On week, at least 2,000 workers of the six affected shipyards sent a petition to President Duterte, expressing opposition against the project as they too were not consulted about the proposed reclamation.
Last Sept. 13, members of Shipyard Association of Consolacion Cebu (SACC) staged a protest against the project, saying it is opposing the proposed reclamation “because the local government of Consolacion has not given any feasible plans to protect the various shipyards and affected locals in the area.”
“The reclamation project will result in the unemployment of thousands due to the closure of the commercial shipyards of Consolacion, all of whom serve 60 to 70 percent of all ships in Central Visayas and Northern Mindanao. The shipping industry of these areas will be greatly affected, most especially the vessels in Cebu,” SACC said in a statement.
The proposed Seafront City reclamation project is a consortium with a private firm, La Consolacion Seafront Development Inc., and the municipal government of Consolacion. This mixed-use reclamation project is envisioned to become an international economic hub.