MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) said the decision of Malacanang to empower the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) chaired by President Aquino to approve reclamation projects would ensure that every reclamation initiative would be coordinated and integrated in the national and regional levels of development planning.
It will be recalled that EO 543 issued in 2006 delegated the power of the President to approve reclamation projects to the PRA.
However, the PRA said that reclamation projects are still endorsed by the PRA to the NEDA Board for approval.
“The EO formalizes the current approval protocol being followed by PRA. The President of the Philippines sits as chairperson of the NEDA Board,” the agency said in a statement.
In parallel with the PRA’s stringent five-stage approval process and due diligence in projects that are crucial to development, the PRA board said the EO would guarantee that every approved reclamation project is consistent with established national priorities of the government.
The EO reiterated the need to secure an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) consistent with the policy of the PRA that project proponents must secure an ECC before any reclamation project can proceed.
“With this current policy directive, the PRA can now focus on evaluating project proposals, conducting technical studies, seeking clearances from other government agencies and ensuring that reclamation projects are advantageous to the National Government and consequently, to the people,” the agency added.
Meanwhile, the PRA clarified that proposed projects for reclamation do not amount to a scale as high as 38,000 hectares.
The agency said various sectors who are frequently quoting the National Reclamation Plan (NRP) may have mistaken the document as an implementation plan.
It added that the NRP is a blueprint of potential reclamation sites in the Philippines for the guidance of proponents.
The EO was issued by Malacanang days before the Pasay City government awarded to SM Land Inc. of retail magnate Henry Sy the 300-hectare reclamation project along Manila Bay worth P54.5 billion.
Atty. Severo Madrona, City Legal Officer and Vice Chairman of the public private partnership (PPP) Selection Committee, said in a statement that the city government through Mayor Antonino Calixto has signed a joint venture agreement with SM Land last Nov. 15 due to the absence of any competing proposal from any qualified bidder after the Nov. 4 deadline.
Madrona said the joint venture agreement was ratified by the 14-member Pasay City Council and forwarded to the PRA for approval.
He reiterated that the procedure used in selecting a joint venture partner for the proposed reclamation project was legal and above board despite the opposition from property giant Ayala Land Inc. as well as S&P Construction Technology.
Both Ayala Land and S&P Construction are weighing their options in questioning the agreement entered into by the Pasay City government and SM Land.
SM Land would undertake and fully finance the project and this includes all the costs of all the necessary permits and clearances from government agencies and the expenses to comply with all the government and legal requirements.
The City Government or PRA shall be allocated at least 153 hectares or 51 percent of the area to be reclaimed including roads and open spaces.
The project would be completed within seven years from the issuance by the city of the Notice to Proceed.
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