P20-B Cebu reclamation project OKd

The Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) has approved the P20-billion 100-hectare reclamation project of a consortium led by Cebu Landmasters Inc. (CLI) in Minglanilla, Cebu—a development seen to transform the landscape of this municipality and catapult it into a world-class economic hub.

The reclamation will give rise to a new estate called Minglanilla Techno-Business Park (also called Ming-Mori) within the next three to five years. The proximity of the estate to Cebu City is seen suitable for light manufacturing industries especially now that the main industrial parks in the province are fully occupied. It will also have its own port facilities.

“The project will take CLI to a brand-new level and widen the range of our customer base to include light-industrial and technology-driven companies,” CLI chief executive officer Jose Soberano III said on Friday.

In a briefing, Soberano said the reclamation project would take the form of two islands linked to the mainland by two bridges. One island will have a total area of 75 hectares, while the other, 25 hectares.

Agreements signed

A memorandum of agreement (MOA) was sealed between the PRA and the local government of Minglanilla for this undertaking on Friday. At the same time, a MOA addendum between the municipality and CLI-led Ming-Mori Development Corp. was signed.

As PRA coordinates and administers all reclamation projects nationwide, its approval indicates that the government has thoroughly evaluated the development plan after consultations with stakeholders. Ming-Mori has been working on this project since 2013, when the first agreement was signed by the municipality of Minglanilla. In 2020, the environmental compliance certificate was obtained.

Following the standard reclamation guidelines, there will be 51-49 percent sharing on the reclaimed land area favoring the government, as represented by the PRA and the local government. The government’s land area will include the roads and open space.

While the private sector partner, Ming-Mori, will have 49 percent of the net land area, Soberano said it was possible to explore development tieups with the government unit and agency on the remaining area in the future.

PRA general manager Janilo Rubiato said he hoped the reclamation project would be completed as scheduled. After the MOA signing, he said some additional requirements—including detailed engineering design and other preconstruction documents—would still have to be submitted and evaluated before the issuance by the PRA of the notice to proceed.

The Minglanilla Techno-Business Park has been masterplanned by Singapore-based Surbana Jurong Consultants, one of the most successful urban and infrastructure consulting firms in Asia with projects in more than 30 countries.

First phase of dev’t

To attract locators, the first phase of Ming-Mori will include commercial, residential and institutional zones “to create enough diversity to make it a vibrant community at the outset,” Soberano said.

New jobs at light manufacturing firms are seen to bring workers and their families into the area, building a critical mass of residents supported by residential and commercial areas, schools, churches and other institutions.

As more areas become available and are developed, CLI envisions a vibrant waterfront community with lifestyle, business and industry woven together.

“This is one of CLI’s biggest projects thus far. Because of the scale of this project that will take several phases to develop, we have carefully and meticulously planned it to be sustainable and supportive of future generations,” Soberano said.

Minglanilla Mayor Elanito Pena said: “Ming-Mori Techno-Business Park is the long-awaited realization of a dream of many Minglanillahanons that would later become a representation of progress that all of us will be forever grateful for. It is indeed, all in Minglanilla!”

“Our constituents will no longer look for job that will require them to travel long distance,” he said. INQ