Man-made Beach To Raise SRP Value (June 2006)

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña is disappointed that the South Reclamation Project (SRP) can’t be used yet, but excited about the completion of the man-made white sand beach that is seen to double the property’s value.

The 1.4-kilometer stretch of white sand and the multi-level boardwalk, however, will not be completed before the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in December.

Osmeña said it is disappointing that the proposed SRP facilities can’t be used for the summit and the other conventions and meetings that will be held in Cebu this year.

“I’m under strong pressure here. There are many interesting events and we can’t even use it, I’m disappointed. There are many business and medical conventions and the Asean summit but we can’t use the SRP,” he told a news conference yesterday.

The mayor blamed the delays on bureaucratic snags and the numerous requirements imposed on the City Government in starting economic activities there.

Osmeña is putting on hold plans to build a new headquarters for the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), saying the City’s priority now is the completion of the SRP.

Besides, he added, he still has doubts on the national leadership of the Philippine National Police, which is why he will postpone the plan to construct a new police camp.

He added the City is preparing for the arrival of three companies who want to put up their factories at the SRP, which would require the City to construct roads there soon.

By the end of August, the whole Pond F and Kawit Island will also be fully electrified to prepare for the investors.

“What we’re working on right now is the completion of the Senior Citizens Center because that’s a political commitment and I want to get that started. But the key here is the white sand beach and the boardwalk,” he said.

The mayor brought members of the local media to Pond F yesterday, where the construction of the boardwalk and the filling up of the coastline with white pebbles is underway.

Once completed, the mayor said the present value of the SRP lots, pegged at P15,000 to P20,000 per square meter, could double.

The white sand stretch is along Pond F, the area claimed by the Talisay City Government.

The filling up of the coastline and the construction of the boardwalk has just started, and work will be gradual since it is still in its trial period.

Osmeña said the construction will be done by phases, at 50 to 100 meters a month.

“We will not finish this in time for the Asean, but what’s important here is that the value of the area will change dramatically when they see a white sand beach... the city will have something everybody can be proud of,” he added.

The boardwalk was designed to be an elevated, split-level type so it can serve as a buffer in the event of a typhoon, he added.

While he admits that the SRP boardwalk will compete with the proposed boardwalk at the reclamation area in Mandaue City, Osmeña said Cebu City’s will be different, “because the water there (Mandaue) is so dirty.”

Osmeña said the standard he would set in managing the SRP would be “higher than Ayala’s” in order to maximize its marketability.

Jeepneys will not be allowed to enter the SRP, electrical lines will not be visible and cleanliness will be monitored at all times, he added. (LCR)