The national government’s approval of two reclamation projects in Manila Bay may pave the way for other reclamation projects in the country including Cagayan de Oro City, an administration councilor said.

 

‘There are pending reclamation project applications in Dumaguete, Iloilo and Davao cities…now with (President ‘Bongbong’ Marcos’s decision to approve the two Manila Bay reclamation projects), we may have seen a positive development, a light in our ambition to pursue reclamation projects in the city,’ Councilor Edgar Cabanlas said in Visayan.

 

During the program ‘Ang Inyong Konseho Karon’ hosted by the City Information Office, Cabanlas-who co-chairs the City Reclamation Authority along with Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy—said the city is primed for reclamation owing to its geography.

 

‘Cagayan de Oro City is 60 to 70 percent hilly and we have little area for development,’ he said.

 

Cabanlas referred to President Marcos’s decision to exempt two reclamation projects of the Pasay City government, one of which is funded by SM Prime.

 

He disclosed during the program that negotiations are underway between City Hall and an investor he declined to identify on a reclamation project covering 500 hectares in Macajalar Bay.

‘Unlike Davao City whose land area is (244,000 hectares), Cagayan de Oro City is only 40,000 hectares making it a medium sized city…we have to move to the sea in order to fully develop the city’s economic potential,’ Cabanlas said in Visayan.

 

He also acknowledged that private developers can help fasttrack the implementation of reclamation projects. ‘Under the reclamation sharing scheme stipulated in the law, 49 percent of the reclaimed land will go to the private developer while 51 percent will be shared by the national government through the Philippine Reclamation Authority and the city government. The PRA will issue titles to the reclaimed land to the city government,’ Cabanlas said. (Stephen Capillas of City Information Office)