Council won’t budge in Dumaguete project

ARTISTS’ VOICE Members of Youth Advocates Through Theater Arts add their voice to groups opposing the proposed government-backed reclamation project along Dumaguete City’s coastline, saying this will destroy several hectares of seagrass beds and coral reefs. —PHOTO COURTESY OF HERSLEY-VEN CASERO

DUMAGUETE CITY—Despite strong opposition from different groups, including scientists and the Church, the city council on Wednesday granted Mayor Felipe Remollo the authority to enter into an agreement with a contractor for the proposed 174-hectare reclamation project here.

Voting 6-5, the council denied the motion to withdraw the authority it gave to Remollo to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with construction firm E.M. Cuerpo Inc. to kick-start the multibillion-peso “Smart City” reclamation project.

Sought for comment, Remollo said he was elated with the outcome of the voting in the city council.

Despite the authority granted by the council, the mayor said he had no plans yet to sign the MOU.

He said he was hoping that residents of Dumaguete would be “enlightened” about the benefits of the project.

Addressing concerns

“Some people are misled by some sectors of society. I will be conducting a public forum online to explain the project to the people. I need to address the concerns because of the many misleading information that have been peddled,” he told the Inquirer in a telephone interview on Thursday.

According to Remollo, the MOU is not a public-private partnership contract but a document that will support the city’s application for a reclamation project to proper authorities.

The project, called Smart City, was envisioned to be a mixed-use commercial and residential area, featuring malls, condominiums, hospitals, business hubs and a docking port for a planned yacht club, among others. The P23-billion project will be at no cost to the city.

Among those who voted to allow Remollo to sign an agreement with E.M. Cuerpo were Councilors Lani Ramon, Nelson Patrimonio, Dionie Amores, Manuel Sagarbarria, Michael Bandal and Edgar Lentorio Jr. Those who opposed were Joe Kenneth Arbas, Agustin Miguel Perdices, Renz Macion, Bernice Elmaco and Rosel Margarette Erames.

Protests continue

Environmentalists, youth groups and residents continue to stage protest rallies, raising alarm over the proposed project which they said was deliberated hastily and would destroy marine life in the city.

On Wednesday, a protest organized by artists in Dumaguete reiterated calls for the city government to junk the proposed reclamation project.

Wearing headpieces inspired by different species thriving in Dumaguete’s waters, the protesters said the project would destroy the marine protected areas in the city.

“We want to be the voice of creatures who are unable to be heard, including the marine and coastal resources of Dumaguete,” said Dessa Quesada-Palm, artistic director of Youth Advocates Through Theater Arts.

They carried placards that read: “I am alive. Save me!”; “We are important!”; and “Pilemon will soon have nothing to fish.”

Lawyer Golda Benjamin, one of those opposing the reclamation project, said the local government failed to conduct a public consultation before the council authorized the mayor to sign a contract with E.M. Cuerpo.

“Should Dumaguete give an illegal, environmentally catastrophic, economically disadvantageous … contract a chance? Is that what we deserve?” she said in her speech during the council session before the voting on Wednesday.

When the “yes” vote won, Benjamin described the result as “heartbreaking.”

“When you took your oath to serve and represent the people, you did not take an oath to serve and represent the interest of Mayor Remollo. You are a representative of the people of Dumaguete,” she said. INQ