Pasay reclamation projects get clearance to resume
Credit to Author: Nillicent Bautista| Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0800
MANILA, Philippines — Reclamation projects under the Pasay Eco-City Coastal Development will continue, as President Marcos has decided to exempt them from a suspension order on reclamation projects in the country, the city government announced yesterday.
The presidential decision came after the coastal development projects acquired an environmental compliance certificate and area clearance from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA), respectively.
According to the Pasay City government, the projects have also been deemed compliant with other issuances from the PRA and the local government.
“This is a most welcome development as the lifting will pave the way for the resumption of development activities with the end goal of helping further boost the economy and providing needed revenue to the government,” Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano said as she expressed her gratitude to Marcos.
“We renew our commitment to ensuring that rules and regulations governing the project are always followed to the letter as we have always done from the outset,” she added.
The Eco-City development plan includes two reclamation projects in Manila Bay known as “Pasay 265” and “Pasay 360.”
Pasay 265 is a joint venture with Pasay Harbor Corp. covering 265 hectares of offshore development of a “new cosmopolitan, eco-friendly and iconic waterfront city.”
The other reclamation project covering 360 hectares – undertaken jointly with SM Smart City Infrastructure and Development Corp. – will be connected to the Mall of Asia complex, also of the SM Group.
The city government expects trillions of pesos in revenue from the Eco-City development plan.
In August 2023, Marcos suspended 22 reclamation projects in Manila Bay to check their compliance with rules as well as their impacts on communities and the environment.