Mandaue recla project finally pushes thru after two decades

CEBU, Philippines — A long-delayed reclamation project in Mandaue City, Cebu, is finally poised to break ground after more than 20 years of legal and political hurdles, according to a statement by the Mandaue Land Consortium (MLC), a member of the Wenceslao Group.

Originally approved in 2001 and 2003 under then-Mayor Thadeo Ouano Sr., the project was envisioned to transform reclaimed land into a central business district with public amenities.

MLC was selected as the city’s joint-venture partner. However, progress stalled for years following the entry of rival private sector groups and a series of political changes in the city’s leadership.

According to the statement, the delay began in 2007 when then-Mayor Jonas Cortes introduced a new player—Sultan 900 Consortium—which subsequently assigned its interests to GlobalCity Mandaue Corp. (GMC), a company associated with former Congressman Mikee Romero. The overlapping claims led to protracted legal disputes.

In 2016, MLC sought arbitration before the Construction Industry Arbitration Commission (CIAC) and secured a favorable ruling, with the city ordered to honor its original contract with MLC.

The CIAC decision was declared final and executory. A subsequent administration under Mayor Luigi Quisumbing complied with the ruling, issuing a formal notice to proceed in 2019.

However, when former Mandaue City Cortes returned to office that same year, he pushed anew for GMC’s involvement. His efforts were halted in 2024, when the Office of the Ombudsman dismissed him from office for cause.

With Mayor Thadeo Ouano Jr. now at the helm, MLC confirmed the project is set to move forward pending finalization of permits and documentation.

The consortium emphasized that competing claims remain unresolved in a Pasig City court, but clarified that the court was not informed of the CIAC ruling nor of the previously issued notice to proceed.

The Supreme Court later ruled that MLC would not be bound by the outcome of that separate case, declaring that “MLC is not an indispensable party because its interest in the controversy or subject matter is separable from the interest of Paradigm PH and GMC.”

The upcoming development is expected to boost economic activity in Mandaue and add substantial commercial value to the city’s waterfront, long seen as a strategic growth corridor in Metro Cebu. — (FREEMAN)