LAPU-LAPU City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan said that the implementation of the Mactan 400-hectare reclamation project is facing further delay due to the renewal of permits and alleged issues with the proponent partner.
In an ambush interview with SunStar Cebu at the Liberty Shrine, Mactan, on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, Chan said that the City is still working on the renewal of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) area clearance permit.
“Naa na sa (It is with) DENR for renewal of the area clearance. On the process na siya (It’s on process). While waiting for that, we will proceed with the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) for the application of the renewal again,” said Chan.
Earlier, Chan said that the Mactan Cebu Ocean City (MCOC) was set to start in 2023, but it did not push through as members of the City Council scrutinized the capability and capacity of the developer, Salug Valley Enterprises and Development Corp. (SVEDC) Group, to carry on the project, which is on a private-public partnership scheme.
“There’s a lot of questions, why is it until now the said proponent previously wala naka-implement sa maong project. Unsa may rason? Mao na atoang gitan-aw ang capability sa maong proponent kung duna ba siya’y kapasidad sa pag implement sa maong proyekto (There’s a lot of questions, why is it until now the said proponent previously did not implement the said project. What is the reason? That’s why we look at the capability of the proponent to see if he has the capacity to implement the project),” said Chan.
The target completion date of the project is yet to be determined, given the area clearance and PRA permit approval.
Background
The island-type reclamation project, formerly known as the Mactan North Reclamation and Development Project (MNRDP), was approved 21 years ago, during the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, on April 27, 2003.
In 2008, the project was estimated to cost around P10.29 billion, while a document by the PRA stated it now costs P25 billion.
The Lapu-Lapu City Government and the PRA had earlier agreed to terms in the memorandum of agreement for the project’s implementation.
Impact
In an earlier interview with SunStar Cebu, Lapu-Lapu City Legal Officer James Allan Sayson said that the Mactan reclamation will provide and produce employment opportunities.
“It will surely generate a lot of jobs. Once finished, situated in the 400-hectare land will be economic zones, ports, and tourist development,” said Sayson.
Meanwhile, the Lapu-Lapu Expressway, the first of its kind in the Visayas and Mindanao regions, is set to break ground on June 14, according to the mayor.
The skyway is anticipated to lessen traffic congestion for travelers passing through the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway going to Mactan-Cebu International Airport. (DPC)