Capitol
assures support for
water treatment facility
Despite
the absence of the required documents from the Tagbilaran City Government, Bohol
Gov. Erico Aumentado still expressed support for its wastewater treatment facility
to be constructed in Taloto District.
Aumentado
learned from the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) central office that
the city had already submitted the requirements for the loan covering the improvement
of city streets - but not yet for the wastewater treatment plant.
As
such, he wrote Mayor Dan Lim reminding him of his obligation - and promises with
conditionalities made during the coordination meetings for the Bohol Circumferential
Road Improvement Project Phase 2 (BCRIP 2).
With
the conditionaiities like the concreting of a section of CPG North Ave. instead
of the original plan of asphalt paving only and completion of the San Jose drainage
outfall met, the governor reminded the mayor to make good his promise.
THREE
LETTERS
Aumentado
wrote Region 7 Directors Marlene Rodriguez of the National Economic and Development
Authority (NEDA) and Leonardo Sibbaluca of the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR), as well as DBP Tagbilaran Branch Manager Ofelia Tesorio to facilitate
the approval and endorsement of the city's request as soon as the documentary
requirements are all in.
The
governor asked Rodriguez to endorse the city's project to the NEDA Infrastructure
Staff for appropriate action by the NEDA Technical Board.
He
undertakes to follow up the aforecited project with the NEDA central office in
order to help Tagbilaran City install the centralized wastewater treatment facility
to solve its recurring problems of flooding at CPG North Ave. and foul odor from
the drainage system as well as prevent the pollution of Tagbilaran Bay which he
referred to as "a disaster," he wrote.
He
also said the NEDA approval is necessary for DBP to approve and release the city's
loan for the project to start and be completed even before the Panglao Bohol International
Airport will become operational.
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way, he said, Tagbilaran can be prepared for the influx of tourists and businessmen
trooping to the city it being the main commercial center of Bohol.
On
the other hand, he requested Sibbaluca to facilitate the early approval of the
city's application for Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) for the wastewater
treatment plant. He said the ECC is a requirement for the project, hence his appeal
to Sibbaluca to approve it within 60 days from submission of all documentary requirements
to his office by the Environment Management Bureau (EMB) of DENR 7). |
At the
same time, he requested Tesorio to endorse the city project, through channels,
to the central office.
He undertakes to follow up the approval and fund
release for the project even up to the level of DBP President Reynaldo David,
he wrote.
"I
am also working with EMB-DENR for the project ECC and the approval thereof by
the NEDA ICC Technical Board to facilitate the implementation of the project,
which, above all, needs the funding by DBP," he told Tesorio.
PANGLAO
AIRPORT
The
Panglao airport came into the picture after Lim, in his response dated March 13
to Aumentado's letter of the same date, had said the governor should not meddle
in the city's affairs but focus instead on the airport project which he had been
touting since he was still a congressman.
This
prompted Aumentado to announce that he is ready to resign his position if the
airport will not be started within his term.
To
note, Aumentado completed three three-year terms as solon before running for governor
in 2001. He in now into his third term as governor - unprecedented in Bohol's
history whose former governors managed only one reelection at most.
The
announcement made headlines in all local papers, and saw print in the Manila Bulletin
as well - and earned for him and Bohol's other leaders a private call on President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Thursday in Malacañang.
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