The government stands to gain huge revenues and generate thousands of jobs from the Smokey Mountain Development and Reclamation Project (SMDRP).
Secretary Robert Aventajado, chairman of the Presidential Committee on Flagship Projects and Programs, made this projection in a recent visit to the project site, saying: "The SMDRP will become the goose that will lay the golden eggs for the former scavenger-families of Smokey Mountain and the rest of the nation."
These revenues, according to Aventajado, will come from the various businesses that will operate in the Smokey Mountain and the reclaimed area just across the former dumpsite. "Yet, this project is being implemented without any funding from the national budget," Aventajado said.
The 79-hectare reclaimed area, which is named Manila Harbor Center (MHC) and forms part of the SMDRP, has been declared as an economic zone and is now being developed by construction conglomerate R-II Builders into a masterplanned, fully-integrated, and ultra-modern port city.
"In fact, this area which will be country's first port city, can be replicated in other parts of the archipelago where it may be needed and applicable," Aventajado added, referring to both the MHC and the Smokey Mountain self-contained community.
The MHC consists of a 10-hectare state-of-the-art port terminal complex, a 37-hectare environment-friendly industrial park, and a 32-hectare world-class port business district, which will serve as its commercial, financial, corporate and recreational hub.
A two-storey Harbor Center Distripak will also rise at the MHC to provide the container terminal business with a full range of services that include packing, repacking, labelling, assembly, sorting, bar coding, consolidation, inventory and distribution.
These facilities will expand and modernize port operations in Manila, enhance domestic and international trade and travel, and spur risk economic activity.
Conservatively, the would-be port city can generate 6,000 to 7,000 jobs and revenues that may run to billions of pesos upon completion and full operations.
But while still in the construction stage, the SMDRP has already been providing employment to the Smokey Mountain dwellers and other people from nearby areas.
MHC's ports terminal alone can create at least 700 jobs, its industrial park about 3,700 jobs, and its port business district around 2,600 jobs.
With Philippine Foremost Milling Corp. (PFMC) as one of the locators of MHC's industrial park, the port city is poised to become the country's "grains corridor" that will help bring down the cost of "pan de sal."
This PFMC facility, which will create about 300 jobs, will be linked to its 4,000-ton corn silo in Cagayan de Oro that receives farm produce from Bukidnon, thus creating a Luzon-Mindanao grains "superhighway" which will reduce the processing and transport costs of the product and help lower its market price.
At the same time, bulk shipment of cement from Japan and Taiwan to the MHC's silos can help lower cement prices in Metro Manila and the suburbs.
Moreover, the Pilipinas Makro Inc. which has completed the construction of its fifth store at the MHC's port business district is expected to generate 500 jobs. Makro's presence in the MHC is also expected to attract others to put up their commercial establishments in Manila.
"This means the government will derive more benefits from the project, for which it does not provide any budgetary allocation," Aventajado said.
Aventajado is the chairman of the multi-agency Executive Committee, the SMDRP's policy-making body, with the National Housing Authority as the main proponent and lead implementing agency.
According to Aventajado, the Smokey Mountain project which will transform the former dumpsite into a symbol of victory for the urban poor will be completed within the term of the Estrada administration.