Mayor Jerry Treñas wanted the proposed reclamation projects in Iloilo City fast-tracked amid the massive development in the metropolis.
“With reclamation, you can have a well-planned development. More economic activities, more employment opportunities, and it will mean the city becomes more attractive,” he said in an interview on Monday, Feb. 19.
He said the city needs reclamation because its area is only 7,834 hectares.
Treñas said the proponent Cebu Landmasters Inc. is interested in reclaiming a portion of the Iloilo Strait, near Fort San Pedro, with an area of 300 hectares initially for commercial-residential in the City Proper district.
The reclamation at the City Proper will start with an initial 100 hectares. It will create an island 20 meters away from the existing informal settlers.
“Hopefully, that will happen during our time. That will mean more job opportunities for Ilonggos,” he added.
Treñas said under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Law, everything has to pass the PPP Center, which will look into the completeness of their documents. Once completed, the proponent will have an original proponent status.
“It’s a little more tedious, but the law is already approved so we have to comply with the law,” he said.
In addition to City Proper, there is also an area available for reclamation in La Paz district for industrial use.
Neighboring cities of Cebu and Bacolod have their respective reclamation, with areas even bigger than Iloilo City.
The mayor pushed for the hastening of the project after his official trip from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates for the World Governments Summit on Feb. 12 to 14.
He shared how the city has become one of the most sustainable cities.
In 2017, a local real estate developer proposed a PHP45 billion project to reclaim 365 hectares of land from the Iloilo Strait.
The Marikudo Real Estate Development Corporation (MREDC) proposed to build two man-made islands, but it did not push through.Perla Lena/PNA
