THE Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) has yet to talk with the family of the owner of the 38-hectare property in Silay City to proceed with the development of an economic zone (ecozone) and Technopark.
MBCCI president Alberto Montelibano told SunStar Bacolod that property owner Rolando Hernaez died just after the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) registered the area as special ecozone.
Montelibano said the three children of Hernaez are currently based in the United States, but one of them is frequently visiting the province for their business process outsourcing (BPO) business in Silay City.
“We are still waiting for the final decision of the family. We will have to sitdown with one of the children soon,” he said, adding that they are looking at several options to continue with the development.
The Peza registration was under Proclamation No. 315 issued by President Rodrigo Duterte on September 14, 2017. This is in pursuant to Republic Act No. 7916, or the Special Economic Zone Act of 1995.
The Bacolod-Silay Ecozone and Technopark will add to the existing 19 economic zones presidentially proclaimed in Bacolod City, and will be the first mixed-use zone in the province.
The ecozone is seen to enable the province to attract various types of locators from the information technology, manufacturing, tourism, agro-industrial, retirement villages, and other industries.
The 38-hectare property is located beside the Bacolod-Silay Airport at Barangay Bagtic.
Montelibano said the property owner may opt to continue with the development. If they do not like to invest, the chamber will look for joint ventures with interested investors.
Worst scenario is if they will sell the property, Montelibano said.
“In developing an industrial zone, the property remains with the owner and will only be leased to the locator. But they can also sell it to the locator,” he added.
During the conceptualization of the project, some locators from Cebu have already expressed their interests to invest in the ecozone, the top official of the MBCCI said.
“We already have many locators, they are just waiting for the development to start,” Montelibano said.
The ecozone is hoped to bring big investments and boost employment in the province, he reiterated.