By Bernie Cahiles-Magkilat
The city government of Bacoor said an in-city relocation will be an important component in the proposed 420-hectare reclamation project along the city’s coast for directly-impacted stakeholders.
Bacoor City Mayor Lani M. Revilla in a statement said the in-city relocation component of the project has helped secure support for the planned development from Bacoor residents.
Revilla claimed the proposed reclamation project had clinched the overwhelming support of the city’s residents during the recent public hearing held by the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
On January 5, 2020, the Liga ng mga Barangay (LnB) of Bacoor passed resolution No. 01-series of 2020, expressing support for the proposed reclamation project in the city.
The resolution, signed by LnB President Reynaldo Palabrica, cited among others that the project “has a concrete plan for all informal settler families that may be affected, like decent housing as relocation site within the city and being priority for employment in all job opportunities which will be created by the project.”
The Sangguniang Kabataan Federation of the city earlier signified their full support for the project through a letter, dated November 11, 2019, signed by SK Federation President Mac Raven Espiritu, and addressed to DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu.
Youth leaders declared that the project would not only boost the city’s economy without compromising the environment but also “provide our fellow Bacooreños who have been legally or illegally settling at the 20 meters easement from the shores of the Manila Bay, within the jurisdiction of the City a better living situation through its relocation program.”
The City Government of Bacoor is the proponent of the reclamation projects, namely Bacoor Reclamation and Development Project, consisting of a total of 320-hectare islands, and the Diamond Reclamation and Development Project consisting of one 100-hectare island via Public-Private Partnership under the PPP Code of Bacoor.
A government center with social services will also be established within the site. Among the target beneficiaries for Ciudad Kaunlaran are ISFs from ten barangays of Bacoor who would be impacted by the project.
Likewise, she said properties in Barangay Alima would be developed into a Fisherman’s Village for the resettlement of fishermen living along the coastlines of Bacoor Bay, allowing the fishermen to continue plying their trade. A wharf with berthing facility will also be constructed for their use.
Directly-impacted stakeholders would participate in the planning of the resettlement package under the Community-based Initiative Approach of the National Housing Authority, according to Revilla.