THE planned reclamation along Davao City Coastal Road will be dedicated to greenery and recreational spaces, according to the Office of the City Planning and Development Coordinator (OCPDC) on Tuesday, January 31.
This includes open greenery spaces, recreational parks and drydocking for the fisherfolk, while some of the area will be retained for mangrove trees. As a whole, the reclamation site will be a mix-use development but will highlight green spaces.
"We want a welcoming type of development that’s refreshing because we lack green spaces in Davao City," OCPDC head Engr. Ivan Cortez told SunStar Davao in an interview.
Also included in the plans, if it will be permitted, are tenement housing, communal septic tank, and commercial spaces to cater to motorists. However, Cortez said nothing is final so far as Mayor Sebastian Duterte has yet to approve or make changes to the master plan.
"It will put Davao City in a good light. It will provide people another place to spend their weekends," Cortez said.
The reclamation project will span 57 hectares along the Coastal Road. As of now, the OCPDC is proposing for the initial supplemental budget to process the documentary requirements needed to pursue the project.
As for the budget, Cortez said a bulk of it may be utilized for the structural projects particularly the commercial spaces, tenement housing, and communal septic tank while tackling the green spaces and parks would be much easier.
Cortez added that they aim to finalize the masterplan by this year.
"This project will require a lot of investments so by phasing lang ang kanyang implementation (we will implement it by phases)," he said.
On January 25, city government officials, including the mayor, and the Philippine Reclamation Authority signed a Memorandum of Understanding signifying the application of the city to reclaim and develop the reclaimable areas along the coastal road. ICM