PRA names 96 reclamation ventures

PRA names 96 reclamation ventures

February 10, 2017/ http://www.tribune.net.ph/business/pra-names-96-reclamation-ventures

 

The Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) has identified 96 reclamation ventures in varying stages of evaluation or approval along with 487 unauthorized projects that the government plans to either seek reimbursement from or take back the lands through forfeiture proceedings.
Speaking at the 40th anniversary celebration of the PRA, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said the agency has already given the go-signal to 20 of the 96 projects, which could potentially generate hundreds of billions of pesos worth of public assets and help modernize some of the country’s most vital ports.
The PRA, he said, is also open to unsolicited proposals to enable the private sector proponents to partner with the government and share their innovations and technologies to help build “economically and environmentally sustainable property developments.”
“We cannot overstate the importance of growing our land to support our nation’s development. Being an archipelago, we actually have less land between mountainside and shoreline for cultivation and habitation than it might seem. As our population continues to grow, pressure on the land assets will continue to rise,” said Dominguez.
“We have hundreds of thousands of Filipinos residing in hazardous areas. These are areas along steep slopes, riverbanks and shorelines vulnerable to flood surges and landslides. We urgently need new and safer areas to be developed for habitation,” he added.
“At present the PRA has identified 96 reclamation projects in various stages of the evaluation and approvals process. In addition, the agency has identified 487 unauthorized projects for which government is seeking reimbursement or forfeiture of the land,” he said.
“About 20 reclamation projects are ready to commence in the near future. These projects will potentially produce hundreds of billions of pesos worth of public assets and help modernize some of our most vital ports,” he said.
In addition, he said, “consistent with overall policy, the PRA is now open for unsolicited proposals. This will allow private sector proponents to bring in their own ideas and partner with the government to build economically and environmentally sustainable property developments.”
Dominguez said new land is needed to supplement the available space for new roads and ports. “This will have an impact on the congestion of our cities and the growing lack of space for schools and residential buildings. Reclamation will provide for these,” he said.
He said the PRA, which has the power and authority to dispose idle public lands and enter into contracts, will play a key role in expanding the land area that the country needs to fill these ever-growing requirements.
Dominguez pointed out that the PRA,  is no longer confined to the Manila Bay area as it was during most of the past 40 years as its responsibilities  now covers  various projects in nearly all our major port cities.