Balili property gets PEZA accreditation

MANILA, Philippines -  The controversial Balili property is now accredited by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority according to Provincial Planning and Development Officer Engr. Adolfo Quiroga.

Quiroga said he received the information about the accreditation weeks ago but has yet to get a copy of the resolution from the PEZA Regional Office.

Suspended Governor Gwendolyn Garcia welcomes the development and thanked PEZA officials for seeing the advantages of the property.

 â€œWe are very happy with that,” said Garcia.

With the accreditation, Garcia said the waste-to-energy project that Capitol  planned to put up in the area will be materialized.

The project is expected to earn millions for the Province of Cebu.

Garcia added the project would offer a solution to the solid waste disposal concern of a growing metropolis like Cebu and would also add to the base load capacity of the province since the project would provide more energy supply.

Also, since the PEZA accreditation means tax incentives for investors, more businesses and entrepreneurs would be interested to invest in the area.                  

Rep. Pablo John Garcia of the third district of Cebu said this would provide more jobs for the Cebuanos.

“We can make that property work for the people in Cebu. We can explore its potential,” said Pablo John.

The younger Garcia said that people who continue to question the value of the property should think twice since it ‘defies the facts and logic’ that PEZA has seen that led to the approval of the accreditation request.

Meanwhile, Engr. Quiroga said that they will explain to the office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources the violations they have allegedly committed for their failure to comply with the conditions of the Environment Compliance Certificate.

 Environmental Management Bureau wrote to the office of Quiroga recently stating that the province conducted development that is not in accordance with the initial environmental examination reports and site development plan.

EMB-7 Regional Director Fernando Quililan said the province filled the property with limestone and soil which was not indicated in their request for an ECC.

But Quiroga said that he will be having a conference with EMB on January 29 to justify that they did not violate any law.

Quiroga said they were supposed to fill the fishpond area inside the Balili property with coal ash as indicated in the ECC but the coal ash was sold to Cemex.                

He said that they initially applied for a site development but were told that they can apply for an ECC for a secured landfill as they will be using coal ash.

 â€œI justify gyud na namo. Dili nalang mi mokuha ug secured landfill, land development nalang gyud. Besides kadto raman fishpond, wala man mi nanghilabot sa submerged area.” —/MBG (FREEMAN)