TWO major reclamation projects in Cagayan de Oro City are awaiting review by national government agencies amid a declaration by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to indefinitely suspend most reclamation projects in Manila Bay.
“We are continuing with our (reclamation) program and we are waiting on the application, feasibility study, and documentary requirements to be sent to national agencies on a huge reclamation project in Barangay Bulua. The project applicant initially is Limketkai Corp. and their target area is 500 hectares,” Councilor Edgar Cabanlas said in Visayan.
During the program ‘Ang Inyong Konseho Karon’ hosted by the City Information Office, Councilor Cabanlas said he believes that the suspension of reclamation projects like those in Manila Bay is ‘temporary.’
He said the national government still recognizes how important reclamation projects are to local governments like Cagayan de Oro City.
In August, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a suspension of reclamation projects in Manila Bay pending the review of their ecological impacts on the surrounding communities.
A Senate hearing to review the processing of requirements for reclamation projects and their impact on the affected coastal communities is ongoing.
Despite this, Councilor Cabanlas—who co-chairs the City Reclamation Authority along with Mayor Rolando Uy—said reviews for applications for reclamation projects are still ongoing.
“We are reviewing an application for a reclamation project that would start from Barangay Lapasan to Barangay Puerto and it would cover 200 hectares,” he said.
Concerning the proposed Bulua reclamation project, Cabanlas said this would be an island-type reclamation that isn’t connected to the seashore and would have its bridge.
“To reach the island, they would build a bridge (leading to it),” he said. But the best reclamation project remains the site to be built out of the Cagayan de Oro coastal highway.
The City Planning and Development Office confirmed that City Hall recently secured a commitment from the Department of Public Works and Highways to conduct a feasibility study on an initial 20 hectares to be sourced from the coastal highway.
“We will develop that site (along with the project proponent),” Cabanlas said. (Stephen Capillas of City Information Office)
