MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte has approved the 418-hectare Horizon Manila reclamation project.
In a meeting with JBros Construction Corp. last week, Duterte gave the go-signal for the proponent of the project to proceed with the development, recognizing the jobs that would be created, which in turn would help contribute in the recovery of the economy.
Sources said President Duterte was impressed with Horizon’s plan of including numerous community amenities to be enjoyed by the Filipino public, such as two sunset parks, an art museum, theater, a medical center, 80 hectares of parks and open spaces and a sports stadium, among others.
Horizon Manila is the first Filipino project to ever win in the World Architecture Festival (WAFX). It was named the overall winner of the 2021 WAFX Award at the 2021 World Architecture Festival after first winning the WAFX Water Category.
The WAFX Award is given to future projects that identify key challenges, which architects will need to address in the coming years.
Horizon Manila is envisioned as a self-contained mixed-use community with commercial, institutional, residential areas, an area suitable for port and port related facilities, marina and tourism-related facilities, and other applicable uses.
The development of the project will start with the reclamation of three islands, focusing on two islands per year.
After the six-year timetable for the reclamation, the construction of roads, other infrastructure and the development of the mixed-used property will begin.
Touted as the biggest and first reclamation project of the City of Manila, the Horizon Manila project is envisioned to be a development that will showcase a “better Manila,” which would be community- and people-centric with lots of parks and open spaces.
It will be a mixed-use community with residential, office and commercial components, and an efficient transportation system.
There are at least 19 reclamation projects in various stages of permitting, development, and implementation, according to the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA).
These include the City of Pearl Reclamation Project, the Manila Waterfront City Reclamation Project, the Tieng family’s Solar City.
Meanwhile, the Sy family’s SM Prime Holdings Inc. is the private sector partner of the local government of Pasay for the “SM Project,” which covers 360 hectares.