Lopez Eyes Partnership with Capitol to Develop Kinatarcan Island in North Cebu
Former environment secretary Gina Lopez sought the permission of the Cebu Provincial Government to allow her to develop Kinatarcan Island in Santa Fe town, Bantayan Island, north Cebu that would benefit the local residents.
“I wanna work out a relationship with the Provincial Government, where we can invest without any strings attached in different areas in the province, on a condition that you help the community,” Lopez told the Provincial Board (PB) members in their caucus last week. Lopez was their caucus guest.
She said she is considering for a public-private partnership (PPP) to develop Kinatarcan Island.
“All Gina (Lopez) is asking (from the Provincial Board) is the authority to develop,” Vice Gov. Agnes A. Magpale told the PB members.
The vice governor told Lopez that they can either sign a usufruct agreement or agree on a PPP.
Lopez said that the country is potentially rich, but most of the local residents are poor. She said Cebu has 120 islands with beautiful places like in Aloguinsan town and Kinatarcan Island.
“So it should be zero poor in Cebu,” Lopez said.
Magpale said one of Lopez’s target areas is the Province-owned lagoon in Sitio Laaw, Barangay Hagdan by developing a “lato” or sea grapes plantation. Lopez also plans to develop the beach.
Through the Economic Enterprise Council (EEC), Magpale said that the Province appropriated P1 million in January this year for the development of Kinatarcan. The development project is still ongoing.
Magpale suggested for Gov. Hilario P. Davide III and Lopez to sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to guide both parties. The PB will pass a resolution to authorize the governor to sign the agreement. Lopez said she is amenable to the MOA.
“We agree to work together so I don’t have to ask permission again and again. Like for example in Kinatarcan, I literally put in millions there and I haven’t gotten even one centavo, and… but that’s what I tell them you don’t have to pay me back, you pay it forward, ipasa ang pag-asa (pass on the hope)” Lopez told legislators. Lopez said she already did this method with some of the poor communities in the country.
“So it is possible to come up with a relationship with the Provincial Government where I’ll put in foreign and private investments in provincial areas, and we work together to alleviate the poverty of the place.
I’ve done this already in 17 communities,” Lopez told the PB members.
She also opened the possibilities of developing other areas in Cebu, “and the only non-negotiable is the community benefits.” Magpale assured the Provincial Government’s commitment on the signing of the
agreement.
“In this particular MOA, I will sit, I will personally commit to sit (with Lopez group) so we can have all the details in the memorandum of agreement,” Magpale said.
Magpale also assured Lopez that Cebu has a good governor who will surely support the plan. Lopez shared one of the successful projects she initiated, the story of poor residents living along the banks of Buhatan River in Sorsogon City where she organized and formed the Buhatan River Eco Adventure in 2015 with the local residents as prime movers.
The project cost was P770,578. A year later, its gross earnings reached P3.7 million, with
P498,861 net income, and it also generated 45 jobs and impact through salaries that reached P1.1 million. Another project she initiated in 2015 was
Lopez also initiated in 2015, the Lola Sayong Eco Surf Camp in Gubat, Sorsogon. She invested a total of P1.504 million for surfboards, a multi-purpose hall, toilet and shower facilities, and a glass bottom boat. A year later, it earned a gross income of P5.9 million, with a net income totaling P1.77 million. It has generated 80 jobs and created impact through salaries at P2.042 million. Guests list have reached 34,358, she said.
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