Gwen firm on Capitol’s 10% share

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has reiterated that the Capitol is bent on implementing an ordinance that will entitle the province to have 10 percent of the “usable” reclaimed land of all reclamation projects undertaken because of the authority of Cebu Province, within its jurisdiction.

This, after representatives of private firms undertaking reclamation projects in Cebu requested the Cebu Provincial Reclamation Authority (CPRA) to allow them to pay the province in cash or offer land swap deals involving their other properties for the equivalent value of the Capitol’s 10 percent share of the actual reclaimed land.

In a report by Sugbo News, the Capitol’s official media arm, Garcia, in a meeting conducted by CPRA at the Capitol on July 10, told them that such a position by the province cannot be negotiated.

The governor, who sits as CPRA chairperson, explained that under Provincial Ordinance No. 2024-05, cash payments as well as land swap deals are no longer available to the reclamation proponents.

Moreover, the report said, the province will only accept a 10-percent share of the usable area of the reclaimed lot itself, making the Province an owner of lots in reclaimed areas.

The CPRA members are Provincial Board Members Glenn Anthony Soco, Andrei Duterte, Jiembo Borgonia, and Minuel Carmela Franco; Capitol consultants Atty. Rory Jon Sepulveda and Atty. Ben Cabrido Jr.; and Provincial Legal Officer Donato Villa, among others.

In 1996, the Capitol enacted Ordinance No. 96-14 or the “Cebu Reclamation Ordinance,” which created the CPRA that would, among other things, approve, undertake, and prosecute reclamation projects in Cebu.

This ordinance prescribes policies, rules, and regulations on reclamations already undertaken and yet to be undertaken by government agencies and private entities in the province.

As reported, the Cebu Reclamation Ordinance has been amended during Governor Gwen’s terms in 2009, 2023, and the current provisions decree that the province shall be entitled to 10 percent of the actual usable reclaimed land in all reclamation projects in Cebu.

The governor said that such policy ensures that the province can benefit from the development and economic opportunities that arise from reclamation projects in its jurisdiction.

Later this month, the reclamation proponents are expected to present to the CPRA an identified area in their reclaimed lands that shall constitute the Capitol’s 10-percent mandatory share of the property in their next meeting.

These areas, according to the report, could be monetized in many ways, such as leasing them to the proponents, which can generate not just a one-time income but a continuing revenue for Cebu Province.

Representatives of the reclamation proponents Cebu South Harbor, Mabuhay Filcement, Atlas Fertilizer, Global Business Power Corp., Solid Earth Development Corp., Therma Visayas, Inc., Cebu South Port, Dynacast Shipbuilding and Repairs Inc., and Cebu Industrial Park Developers, Inc. were also present in the meeting. — Kristin de Dios/RHM