METROPOST


DUMAGUETE COAST IS ALIVE. Marine Biology graduate students at the Silliman University IEMS, studying Coral Reef Biology and Biostatistics under Dr. Klaus Stiefel, do several dives on Saturday morning, July 17 off the coast of Piapi Beach to document the verdant coral reefs and other marine resources that will be buried by the City’s proposed reclamation. (Photo by Floramae Joyce Neri)


JULY 18 - JULY 24, 2021 13


LETTER FROM DUMAGUETE ....FROM P.7


called bio-marine mitigation. It is possible that such mitigation is included in the estimated cost of P23 billion. If not, such mitigation cost will reduce the profitability of the project. There is a risk that the mitigation cost turns out to be very large, as estimated independently by environmental scientists and engineers, and if so, this would make the project infeasible. If this is discovered while the project is ongoing, then there is the risk that EMCI would be better off with discontinuing the project. The understanding is that the City can take on another developer, but there would be the question of whether it would be able to find one willing to shoulder the cost of bio-marine mitigation. In short, there is a risk that the City would have a ‘white elephant’ on its shoreline. One way to avoid such a scenario is to be clear, even before the project commences, on the environmental costs and their mitigation. This is a subject for further


discussion in public fora, with the benefit of expertise, home-grown or otherwise, on the environmental aspects of reclamation projects. It is my understanding that City officials and the private sector proponent would welcome such a conversation.


WE OPPOSE....FROM P. 10


wala usab nila buhata ang legal, teknikal ug matinud-anong pagtuki. Dili klaro ang katilingbanong pagpakabana, ingon man ang ekolohiya, ug aspetong ekonomiya sa maong proyekto. Kini tanan wala malakip aron kini matuki, masusi pag-ayo ug mapamatud-an, aron adunay basihanan kung kinahanglan manubag ang mga opisyales niining atong Dakbayan sa pamaaging legal, sa politika, sa moralidad nga basihan ug aron manubag sila sa panahon sa piniliay. 6. Who will more and less benefit from this project? The sharing of revenues, when unclear on how revenues are to be recorded and accounted by two partners that is one public (the City) and the other private (developer), with each having its own accounting and auditing procedures and standards, does not ensure fair sharing. Besides, who will own the project or control access to and businesses in the island? These are valid technical concerns relevant to public well-being.


Kinsa man ang mabulahan sa maong


proyekto? Dili klaro ang pagbahinay sa mga abot niining nga proyekto. Kinsa man ang manag-iya sa maong proyekto? Kinsa man ang magdumala ug kinsa man ang magpatigayon sa mga negosyo sulod sa maong isla? Kini nga mga magpakabana mahinungdanon alang sa kaayohan sa atong katilangban.


7. A project of such size, cost, and impact on the City requires either or both free and prior informed public examination, and third party reviews to ensure its regularity and integrity, in light of this being pushed just months prior to the general elections, and even sooner prior to election bans on infrastructure projects done by or with government.


Ang proyekto nga labing dakoa sama


niini, ilabihang kamahal pa, ug maglambigit sa tibuok Dakbayan magkinahanglan ug gawasnon ug klarong pagsabot uban ang pagtuki sa ikatulong grupo nga wala malambigit sa maong proyekto, aron masiguro nga kini hapsay ug puno sa integridad kay lagmit kini maabtan sa umaabot nga piniliay kay adunay may


balaud nga ginadili ang mga proyektong inprastraktura sa panahon sa piniliay sumala sa atong gobyerno.


Our Appeal/Ang among Hangyo 1. The City Mayor to fully expose for public scrutiny and discussions a) his appreciation and reasons for pushing this project, including how this Project would not disadvantage the government and people of Dumaguete; b) his confidence on the developer with whom he will contractually obligate the City government and the people and environment of the City; and c) the history, track record, and verification of owners and investors on the developer’s company. Nga ibutyag sa Mayor sa atong Dakbayan


ang maong proyekto aron kini makit-an sa publiko ug mahisgutan.


2. The City Council to rescind its action


to indorse this Project and its approval of the Contract as exercise of due legal diligence, political and electoral accountability to the citizens of Dumaguete, and good governance. This, until it has been furnished and had engaged in public reviews of the technical, social, economic, and ecological acceptability of the Project to the people of Dumaguete. Nga pagabawion sa Konsehol sa atong Dakbayan ang ilang pag-endorso sa maong proyekto.


3. The Mayor and the members of the Council to publicly disclose their individual and collective reasons why this haste of pushing this huge project, knowing that elections are to be held next year, and they might not be in office by then. Why not leave such a highly-consequential project for the next government to conduct more thorough review of it than would be available to the present government at this time? All these, to hold a public interest in high moral grounds as is intended by the Constitution and laws of our country. Nga atong Mayor ug ang konseho magpadayag sa publiko sa ilang mga rason nganong gadali man sila sa maong proyekto nga nahibalo man unta sila nga haduol ang piniliay.


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