Tagbilaran officials want reclamation project stopped

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines – The reclamation project located at barangay Poblacion II initiated by Bohol Quality Corp (BQC) “must stop,” and “we don’t allow reclamation” for environmental reasons, City Vice Mayor Jas Montes-Tirol told a caller in her radio program Saturday.

City Mayor Dan Neri-Lim has earlier issued a letter-request addressed to Frederick Ong, general manager of the BQC, to stop the development in the reclamation project, particularly the construction of permanent structure within the foreshore area at Brgy. Poblacion II.

Lim said the city government “has not granted any permit of clearance for any structure to be constructed on the foreshore; any activity to the contrary is illegal.”

He added that the foreshore land is a “natural buffer and is crucial in sustaining the ecological health, water quality and the natural landscape of the city’s coastal environment which provide socio-economic benefits of city residents.”

The Freeman tried to contact Frederick Ong for his comments on the matter, but he was out of his office yesterday.

In a separate interview, Barangay Poblacion II chairman Eleuterio Paredes agreed by saying that the on-going reclamation project must be stopped. He confirmed that the residents and officials of his barangay have filed a formal complaint against it before the City Mayor’s Office.

Paredes wanted the mayor to take immediate step before it would be too late for the fragile bay or channel that divides Panglao island and this city to be polluted and destroyed.

The BQC is not the only one that set off such project, which allegedly breached the 20-meter salvage zone law, but also other big businesses, like the Alturas Group of Companies, resorts and other private entities along the long stretch of city’s coastline.

The BQC project is now under tight scrutiny by the DENR for allegedly encroaching beyond what it owns.

In his report, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources officer Nestor Canda, who conducted an on-site inspection, bared that the project has no environmental compliance certificate (ECC) issued by the DENR, in violation of Presidential Decree 1586.

Canda also recommended to the DENR-Region 7 for issuance of a cease and desist order for the BQC to halt its reclamation project pending further investigation. This was also considering that no foreshore area clearance was issued by the Philippine Reclamation Authority, he said. (FREEMAN)