Minglanilla LGU Seeks Approval for Recla Project

The officials of Minglanilla town is seeking the endorsement of Cebu Governor Hilario Davide lll and the Provincial Board for the proposed 100 hectare Minglanilla Reclamation and Industrial Park.

Such development hangs however as a fisher folk organization and two barangay officials, where the project would sit in their area of jurisdiction, expressed surprise over the haste while a senior board member aired caution in giving a prompt endorsement to the said multi-billion peso project in the southern Cebu town.

Power Transferred

Provincial Board member Thadeo Ouano, chair of the Committee on Environmental Protection and Natural Resources revealed that President Aquino recently issued an Executive Order (E.O.) which transferred the power of approval of reclamation projects from the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

“Na updated sab ko ang NEDA na ang mudala sa approval”(I have been updated, it is now NEDA that will give the) PB member Ouano told DyRC radio in an interview.

According to Ouano, approval for reclamation project used to be with the PRA as delegated by the President but this has been changed after the issuance of E.O. 146 which transferred that function to NEDA.

Section 1 of E.O.146 (Approval of Reclamation Projects) states “ The power of the President to approve reclamation projects is hereby delegated to the NEDA Board.”

In his letter to Davide dated November 4, 2013, Minglanilla Mayor Elanito Pena, who earlier also communicated to PRA Gen. Manager Peter Anthony Abaya about the proposed project, said that the town would greatly appreciate it if the Governor would make favorable endorsement of the project to the PRA.

“The Municipality of Minglanilla would greatly appreciate your letter of support/favorable endorsement to the Philippine Reclamation Authority for the Minglanilla Reclamation and Industrial Park Project,” a portion of Pena’s letter read, a copy of which was also obtained by MetroCebu News.

Pena also wrote a separate letter to PB member Gricelda Sanchez- Zaballero, chairperson of the Committee on Provincial and Municipal Properties which included several municipal council resolutions that asked for the favorable endorsement from the provincial board members, apart from that of Gov. Davide.

“Requesting the provincial government through Provincial Governor, Hon. Hilario Davide lll, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Cebu for a favorable endorsement to the Philippine Reclamation Authority of the proposed 100 hectare reclamation and industrial park project,” Sangguniang Bayan (SB) resolution No. 106-C series of 2013 states,” which is among the attachments of the letter of Pena to Zaballero dated January 20, 2014.

Public Consultation

But a leader of the fishermen’s association, Crispin Catalbas of barangay Calaojan, aired opposition to the project, stressing that no public consultation was called for the said project.

He said the project would deprive several residents in their barangay, which relies on marginal fishing.

“Dili gyud mi musugot ana, mag-unsa na lang mi, wala na mi pangita, (We will not allow it, what would happen to us then, we will lose our means of livelihood)” Catalbas, the chairman of the Dolphin Fisherfolks Association, said in the same radio interview.

Calaojan barangay Captain Tito Baloro confirmed there was no public consultation that was conducted.

“Wala gyud, wala gyud mahitabo nga dunay public hearing” (Nothing, we really did not know about hearing ), Baloro said during the interview.

The predecessor of Baloro, Samuel Sidano, who is now a barangay councilman, also revealed the same information.

“Sa panahon nako, walay pahibawo, walay notice nga public hearing” (During my incumbency, there was no advise, there was no notice) Baloro said.

Both Sidano and Baloro claimed that almost ninety-percent of the planned reclamation project would sit in their barangay, a coastal area in the municipality.

Memorandum of Agreement

The reclamation project was announced last year after Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed between Mayor Eduardo Selma and Ming-Mori Development Corporation, the project developer.

Selma described the project as his “dream project”, seeing it to bring economic progress to the town, providing employment and giving additional revenues and income for the municipal coffers.

Ming-Mori Chairman Jose Soberano said that the project would start construction this year and it would be a five-year phase, as his company would also conduct intensive marketing for foreign direct investment.

Apart from Calaojan, the project would also affect the nearby barangay Tulay and Tungkil.