Developer shows papers to back reclamation plan

CEBU, Philippines - Malayan Integrated Industries Corporation (MIIC) President Pablo Villaver yesterday denied insinuations that the company is lacking the necessary papers and capability to undertake the 3,500-hectare Cordova Development and Reclamation Project.

Villaber furnished to The FREEMAN the documents to show that MIIC has the documents to prove its competence to undertake the huge project.

According to Villaber, the project was presented not only during the time of the late president Ferdinand Marcos, but also during the incumbency of former president Fidel V. Ramos.

Documents obtained by this paper showed that the CDRP passed a review at the office of former chief justice Renato Corona, who at the time of Ramos was the presidential legal secretary.

Corona cited in his recommendation that the CDRP is similar to the Mandaue Reclamation Project undertaken by Mandaue City and developer F.F. Cruz & Co., which was approved by then executive secretary Catalino Macaraig on June 7, 1989. 

Villaber claimed that the strong opposition made by former congressmen Tomas Osmeña and Pablo Garcia caused the delay in the project's implementation.

At the time they expressed their disproval on the project, Osmeña was the mayor of Cebu City while Garcia was the governor of Cebu province.

Villaber admitted that Malacañang conducted an investigation in response to the opposition of Osmeña and Garcia.

Despite the opposition made by the two top officials, however, former executive secretary Ruben Torres recommended the approval of the reclamation project, Villaber said.

Villaber said his reputation had been maligned by those who opposed the plan.

"Grabe ang ilang pagdaot nako aron lang gayud dili mahinayon ang maong proyekto (They have maligned me so much just so the project won't reach fruition)," said Villaber.

Another cause of the delay was when the Cebu Province created the Cebu Provincial Reclamation Authority, which imposed that all proposed reclamation projects should pass first the Cebu provincial board and the office of the governor.

But during the time of former president Joseph Estrada, Villaber said the Cebu Provincial Reclamation Authority was cited as invalid, and all reclamation projects should pass to the Public Estate Authority.

It was learned that the Cebu Provincial Government and the Public Estate Authority signed a memorandum of agreement for the said undertaking.

MIIC and One-Earth Project Management Ventures Inc. signed a joint venture agreement to undertake the project estimated to cost between P89 billion and P100 billion.

"For this project, we will be pouring in an investment of P89 billion to P100 billion that will include international and domestic seaports, a third bridge connecting Cordova and Cebu City, a circumferential 12-lane road, commercial buildings, high-rise buildings, a casino and soon to be the biggest SM mall with our partnership with SM Land Holdings," said Villaber.

Currently, the parties are now complying with all the necessary requirements from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for the projects.

Villaber said MIIC was listed as one of the largest corporations in sales and profits in 2001 by BizNews Asia and also in the 2010 edition of the Securities and Exchange Commission Top 25,000 corporations in the Philippines. (FREEMAN)