‘Tagbilaran More than Just a Gateway’

Tagbilaran City, Bohol (PNA) — Tagbilaran City will no longer be just the gateway to Bohol, but a destination itself.

Gov. Edgar Chatto emphasized this as he noted healthy cooperation between the provincial administration and the city administration now.

Chatto also announced the plan to build the third bridge that will connect mainland Bohol and Panglao island through the Tagbilaran point.

This is to prepare for the increased of traffic flow once the New Bohol Airport starts operation that will increase the tourist influx.

On the part of the city government, Mayor John Geesnell Yap announced in his state-of-the-city address that the Blood Compact shrine in barangay Bool will be developed further into a Bohol Friendship Park whose implementation starts late this year.

The city will also invite scientists to study the feasibility of a reclamation project that will pave for the development of a boulevard near the port area.

The remaining 50 households of informal settlers will be relocated to a 50-hectare property that the previous city administration purchased in the adjacent town of Baclayon.

Yap cited the Cebu experience wherein reclamation projects spurred economic development.

On the other hand, it can be noted that after being mentioned in his inaugural speech in 2013, the projection that Tagbilaran can be an information technology (IT) hub had never been mentioned in the succeeding public pronouncements of the mayor.

On this, Yap explained that undertakings are actually ongoing but there has been no public announcement about it to avoid making people expect until it’s realized.

The mayor cited PLDT’s Home Ultera, offering long-term evolution (LTE) to ensure stable internet connection.

Globe is also placing fiber optics cables underground to improve internet connection.

Once Tagbilaran stabilizes internet connection, IT-business process management (BPM) companies would then be convinced to come in.

Yap said he had been going around with Third District Rep. Arthur Yap, presenting Tagbilaran as the future IT-hub to IT-BPM or business process outsourcing (BPO) companies.

The mayor said it had been the common concern of the BPO that there would be at least two telecommunications companies available to be assured of back up internet provider in case one encounters problems.

Moreover, the City’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) was already submitted to the Committee on City Planning and Public Lands of the 12th Sangguniang Panlungsod for their evaluation, review and public hearing.

The city government rehabilitated 26 different city and barangay facilities through the P116-million allocation from the Bohol Earthquake Assistance (BEA) fund.

Rehabilitation of the New City Hall Building had also started, with the allocation of P78 million from BEA fund.

On the sustainability and efficiency of the road projects, he also assured that every road concreting project will include a drainage system to be reconciled with the drainage system implemented by the DPWH along national roads.

However, in most cases, the city government opted to maximize the allocation to cover longer roads and the drainage component would just have to follow. (PNA) CTB/AV/PJN