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CEBU CITY, Philippines - Any reclamation project to be implemented in Cebu would have to go through the proper channels before it can proceed.
Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia reiterated this following last Tuesday’s meeting of the Mactan Cebu Bridge Management Board (MCBMB) on the 400-hectare Lapu-Lapu reclamation project.
Top officials of the Lapu-Lapu City government who pushed for the project, failed to attend the board meeting held at the Provincial Capitol. They instead sent city legal officer Joseph Vincent Lim who said he was unprepared to make a presentation on their behalf.
But when asked about the project’s status, Lim said it had already secured approval from the Office of the President and the Cebu Port Authority and added there was no reason to put off its implementation scheduled before the end of the year.
The Lapu-Lapu City legal officer, who represented Mayor Arturo Radaza, also said the MCBMB has no jurisdiction over the case since the board’s concern is only on bridge management and not on reclamation projects.
However Governor Garcia refuted Lim’s contention, saying any reclamation projects in Cebu would need approval from the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA). She said these should also be presented to the infrastructure committee and then the Regional Development Council (RDC) for review.
In the absence of any objections, it is the RDC that endorses the project to the PRA, Garcia said. “This applies on all projects that would affect the island of Cebu and the region in general,” she added.
The MCBMB earlier requested Lapu-Lapu City officials to attend last Tuesday’s meeting for updates on the reclamation project. Lim said he was unprepared for the briefing since he was only told by Mayor Radaza to attend the board meeting shortly before it started at 10 a.m.
The board agreed to postpone Lim’s presentation for their next meeting on July 9. It also sought to invite officials from various government line agencies to shed light on the project’s possible effects on the Mactan Channel’s water flow.
The Lapu-Lapu City government intends to reclaim a portion of the coastal waters located on the northern part of the island from the vicinity of Barangay (village) Ibo to Punta Engaño. /Reporter Doris C. Bongcac
