Saturday, January 17, 2009 [ manilatimes.net ]
Grand Utopia Inc. broke ground in November on the Ocean 9 Casino and Hotel in the former US naval base of Subic Bay north of Manila, but environmentalists later accused them of poisoning and cutting trees along the waterfront.
“It is imperative that we protect the trees. So instead of cutting or relocating the mature trees, it is better to adjust the design to incorporate them,” Environment Secretary Joselito Atienza said in a statement.
The Subic Bay Freeport officials are also optimistic that a “win –win” solution would be despite the controversy.
Armand Arreza, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Administrator, said the allegations that century old tress would be sacrificed to make way for the project “distracted most of us from more important work, now we should be able to come up with a solution that would be acceptable to all parties concerned.”
He said the “win-win” solution would come from adhering to requirements and conditions to be imposed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, while still giving Grand Utopia “enough reason to continue with its $120- million development project.”
“Let’s work together for a win-win solution,” Atienza asked Ocean 9 executive managing director Louis Joong-moon Choi during his inspection Wednesday.
The retention of mature trees in the site “could even add ambiance to your project,” Atienza told Choi, adding that millions of dollars are being spent just to put trees in world-class tourism projects elsewhere.
It was not known how the order would affect the project cost and timetable
Grand Utopia risks having the environmental clearance of the project revoked if it refuses to comply.
The department earlier scuttled another South Korean hotel project on the shores of Taal Lake, south of Manila on environmental grounds.
“The government welcomes investments. It is what the economy needs. But we have to put things in proper perspective and ensure that the environment is protected and investors must follow existing laws,” Atienza said.
Arreza said the Subic Bay office considers the Ocean 9 project “a critical infrastructure” to complement the agency’s tourism development program, particularly in attracting foreign tourists and cruise ships to the area.
“A lot is riding on this project—investments, jobs and revenue, so the SBMA would like to ensure its viability as well as its acceptability,” he said.--Anthony Bayarong with AFP
