Reclamation proponent asks PB for another chance

CEBU, Philippines - The proponent of the Cordova Development and Reclamation Project, Pablo Villaber, has asked the Provincial Board for another chance to explain the project.

The Board has requested Cordova Mayor Adelino City and Villaber, the president of Malayan Integrated Industries Corporation, to appear during its session on March 24 to shed light on the proposed reclamation, but Villaber failed to appear.

In a letter dated March 18, 2014 addressed to Board Secretary Aniceta Pasaylo, Villaber said he wasn’t able to appear on March 24 because of  his series of meetings and prior commitments. He asked that he be accommodated in the future.

“It would be my great privilege to attend the session of the provincial board sometimes in the near future, probably towards the end of the month of April this year, preferably on April 28, 2014 in the afternoon,” Villaber said.

Prior to the invitation, Villaber told the PB that he has already submitted on March 5, 2014 complete facts, status and the law, rules and regulations, legality and validity of the proposed project.

He claimed the project has been approved by the Public Estate Authority and the Office of the President during the time of former president Fidel Ramos.

Villaber said that pursuant to and in accordance with the mandatory provision and requirement of Presidential Decree No. 3-A and Section 1 of Executive Order 525, the project will be solely and exclusively conducted, undertaken, reclaimed, developed and constructed by the MIIC as the principal proponent, grantee and awardee.

The 3,500-hectare reclamation project, said to worth between P89 billion to P100 billion, includes the building of seaports, a third bridge that would connect Cordova and Cebu City, a circumferential 12-lane road, high-rise buildings, among others.

MIIC entered into a joint venture agreement last month with One-Earth Project Management Ventures Inc. to do the project.

PB Member Arleigh Jay Sitoy, a former mayor of Cordova town, earlier said he found something wrong in the project.

He said the PB must be updated considering that it was still during the time of former president Ferdinand Marcos that the project was reportedly presented to the body.

Sitoy said the town has considered the reclamation proposal as “abandoned and forfeited” after it was not implemented for more than 30 years.

He showed a copy of Resolution No. 028-11-08 of the Cordova Municipal Council duly signed by Mayor Adelino Sitoy, his father.

Sitoy was reacting to the claim of Villaber that the latter has documents to prove that he is authorized by Malacañang to do reclamation works in Cordova.

“Mr. Villaber appears to be in a time warp… he is no longer updated with the realities of the time,” Sitoy said. (FREEMAN)