Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte wants the 24-hectare city-government-owned Reservation Area in Matina Aplaya sold not leased.
Leasing them to investors would be cumbersome. The easier way is to sell it, said Duterte.
The valuable foreshore area popularly known as Times Beach awarded to the Davao City government under Presidential Proclamation No. 20 issued by the Late President Ramon Magsaysay may now be rented or leased out to business by the city government to raise much needed revenues.
At the Ato ni Bay television program on SkyCable hosted by broadcast journalist Leo Villareal, Duterte said Times Beach may be sold to fund the city’s comprehensive drainage program.
Floods have been a perennial woe for City Hall. Duterte earlier said the project needed billions of pesos which the local government does not have.
For Lack of funds, Dabawenyos will have to live up with the floods, said Duterte. But sale of Times Beach could be the saving grace.
Times Beach will be a goldmine of revenues, said city councilor Arnolfo Cabling earlier.
Right over the valuable property had been subject of a tug-of-war between the local government, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR) and the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA).
The reservation may now be leased out without need for foreshore lease agreement from DENR or a reclamation permit from the PRA.
The development comes as a big relief to Emars Wavepool and Queensland International.
Cabling is chair of the committee on housing, rural and urban development, which has tackled applications for FLA with DENR and reclamation permits from PRA by Emars Wavepool and Queensland International.
The applications needed a Resolution of No Objection from the city council.
Control of the Reservation Area has long been a question pending at the Davao City Council, which had been tackling the Emars and Queensland issue in relation to its applications with DENR and PRA.
DENR earlier said Emars and Queensland needed an FLA while PRA required reclamation permits.
But the issue on who has full control over the Reservation Area has been answered no less by DENR and PRA during a recent deliberation by the council on the Emars and Queensland requests for endorsement of their applications with DENR and PRA.
Both DENR and PRA said they have “no right” over Reservation Area, which is under the full control of the city government by virtue of Proclamation No. 20.
This position was formally stated in the January 10, 2012 regular session of the Davao City Council, by the DENR through Atty. Felix Allicer, Regional Technical Director of the land Management Services of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and by the PRA through Engr. Eduardo Destura, Department Manager for Planning and Evaluation.
With the City Government of Davao having full authority and sole prerogative on utilization and management of subject property, Emars and Queensland need no longer seek Permit for Reclamation from PRA or foreshore lease contract from DENR. ROGER M. BALANZA
