Thursday, September 3, 2009 [ sunstar.com.ph ]
By Rizel S. Adlawan and Isolde D. Amante
CEBU Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia stood pat on her decision to keep part of the Balili resort property, saying it is a “strategic” choice that will enable the Province to set up a port and industrial estate.
After her presentation yesterday on the purchase of the 24.7-hectare property in Tinaan, Naga, she told reporters, columnists and editors the property holds an “immense economic potential for the Province.”
Among the possible uses for a portion of the lots is a waste-to-energy facility that will handle, “in the most technologically advanced, environmentally safe manner,” the waste transported by barge from other local government units.
Part will serve as a coal ash disposal area for the new Korean Electric Power Corp. (Kepco) plant scheduled to start operating in early 2011. Kepco has agreed to pay $1 for every metric ton of coal ash. The fee will rise by 10 percent every five years, said the governor.
Apart from using coal ash as a filling material, the Province also has the option to sell it to cement manufacturers, who can use it as an additive.
Garcia clarified the Province was aware that 10 of the 24.7 hectares in the property were fishponds—separate from the 9.4 hectares that were submerged or covered by mangroves.
“My stand is we are not going to give up the fishpond area,” she said. “I already purchased that with reclamation in mind.”
Hearing
The ad hoc committee of the Provincial Board (PB) will have its first hearing today, as it continues its probe on the purchase. It will be open to the public.
As one lesson from the fiasco, the governor announced yesterday her intention to amend the executive order creating the appraisal committee. She wants to include a full geodetic survey before the Capitol purchases a property.
However, she said she cannot follow Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s practice of negotiating with the property owners directly, like what he did for Filinvest to buy 10.6 hectares and agree to jointly develop 40 has. of the South Road Properties.
The governor said she prefers to stay out of the deals “to protect the Office of the Governor from accusations of undue or unusual interest” in the transaction.
“The only time I came in was to bring the price down to P400 per square meter,” the governor said.
Port
Capitol consultant on information and revenue generation Rory Jon Sepulveda earlier said that in a fast-growing industrial area like Naga, the Capitol saw the need to establish an economic zone with access to a seaport.
Adjacent to the Balili property is Cemex’s plant, which has a port that can only accommodate one vessel at a time to unload and load cement.
The Provincial Planning and Development Office, Sepulveda added, is preparing a development plan for the coastal land, for eventual use as an economic zone and port.
He added there are investors who want immediate access to a seaport so they won’t have to endure traffic.
Citing the existence of industries in Naga like Apo Cement and Cemex, Vice Gov. Greg Sanchez said the property has a huge potential to create jobs.
“I’ll be helping the governor in making it an industrial zone because the Province can earn,” he said.
Potential
Upon hearing of the Capitol’s plan to put up a seaport in Naga, officials of Apo Cemex Corp. reportedly asked the Office of the Governor that they be given priority in the use of the facility.
In yesterday’s briefing, the governor said a private firm is also interested in putting up a waste-to-energy incineration plant and eco-park, for which five to six hectares will be required.
Contrary to the usual perception that incineration violates Republic Act 9003, Garcia said that under the law, it is only the fumes that are banned. The Province, she said, “will continue to perform its responsibility of protecting the environment.”
RA 9003 provides for an ecological solid waste management program.
But there is “no rule that requires the entire transaction should be voided,” Garcia said, explaining why the Capitol is seeking only a partial refund of P37.8 million for the submerged or mangrove portions of the Balili property.
She said she met with the columnists and editors to address issues in the P98.9-million purchase that “were lost in translation and garbled in transmission.”
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on September 3, 2009.
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