Dumaguete proposed reclamation project

[Mike J]

I am curious what you who live in or near Dumaguete think of this?  Good or bad for the community?

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1460636/dumaguete-mayor-seeks-public-support-for-reclamation-project

DUMAGUETE CITY—Dumaguete Mayor Felipe Remollo is asking the public to support the proposed 174-hectare reclamation project which has drawn criticisms from different groups that raised its devastating impact on the marine environment and the coastal communities relying on fisheries for food and livelihood.

Remollo said those who opposed the project were “not properly informed.”

“We may differ in opinion but please give me an alternative to uplift the lives of the poor. I envision a free hospital, housing, education, medicine, water and electricity. That can happen if the city has money,” he said at a press briefing here on Wednesday.

Remollo was supposed to sign an agreement with E.M. Cuerpo Inc., the developer of the reclamation project, on July 12, but the event was postponed.

‘Smart City’
The mayor explained that he requested the city council to revise the resolution, which authorized him to sign the joint venture agreement (JVA) with the developer, to add a paragraph that would render the JVA as having no legal effect should the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) turn down the project with finality.

He also asked that some provisions be added to strengthen the environmental clauses in the proposal.

Based on a copy of the JVA, 51 percent of the reclaimed island will belong to Dumaguete and the PRA, while 49 percent will be the share of the developer.

The P23-billion project, dubbed Smart City, was envisioned to be a mixed-use commercial and residential area, featuring malls, condominiums, hospitals, business hubs and a docking port for a planned yacht club, among others.

Several groups, including environmental advocates, opposed the reclamation project which they said was deliberated hastily and would destroy marine life in the city and displace fisherfolks.

Remollo said it would now be up to the DENR and the PRA to decide on the project’s fate.

“You (people who oppose the project) have said your part. (Now let me) present this to the authorities, and let them decide. I am not a poor loser. I will accept what could happen to this plan,” he said.

 

[Dave Hounddriver]

29 minutes ago, Mike J said:

I am curious what you who live in or near Dumaguete think of this?  Good or bad for the community?

Sounds like they want to fill in some of the ocean.  It would not be the first time someone did that.  The Sibulan airport runway is built on reclaimed land.  However, when certain government authorities applied to the DENR to extend the runway further, they were denied.  So if this current proposal succeeds then someone must be getting their pockets filled, IMHO.

Is it good for the community?  Well growth is at a standstill now so probably good.  But a longer runway would have been good too.

[jimeve]

57 minutes ago, Mike J said:

I am curious what you who live in or near Dumaguete think of this?  Good or bad for the community?

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1460636/dumaguete-mayor-seeks-public-support-for-reclamation-project

DUMAGUETE CITY—Dumaguete Mayor Felipe Remollo is asking the public to support the proposed 174-hectare reclamation project which has drawn criticisms from different groups that raised its devastating impact on the marine environment and the coastal communities relying on fisheries for food and livelihood.

Remollo said those who opposed the project were “not properly informed.”

“We may differ in opinion but please give me an alternative to uplift the lives of the poor. I envision a free hospital, housing, education, medicine, water and electricity. That can happen if the city has money,” he said at a press briefing here on Wednesday.

Remollo was supposed to sign an agreement with E.M. Cuerpo Inc., the developer of the reclamation project, on July 12, but the event was postponed.

‘Smart City’
The mayor explained that he requested the city council to revise the resolution, which authorized him to sign the joint venture agreement (JVA) with the developer, to add a paragraph that would render the JVA as having no legal effect should the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) turn down the project with finality.

He also asked that some provisions be added to strengthen the environmental clauses in the proposal.

Based on a copy of the JVA, 51 percent of the reclaimed island will belong to Dumaguete and the PRA, while 49 percent will be the share of the developer.

The P23-billion project, dubbed Smart City, was envisioned to be a mixed-use commercial and residential area, featuring malls, condominiums, hospitals, business hubs and a docking port for a planned yacht club, among others.

Several groups, including environmental advocates, opposed the reclamation project which they said was deliberated hastily and would destroy marine life in the city and displace fisherfolks.

Remollo said it would now be up to the DENR and the PRA to decide on the project’s fate.

“You (people who oppose the project) have said your part. (Now let me) present this to the authorities, and let them decide. I am not a poor loser. I will accept what could happen to this plan,” he said.

 

Another pipe dream, Just like the proposed New International airport supposed to be built in a third class town (Bacong)

[Eddie1]

2 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

But a longer runway would have been good too.

Dave, Just curious why a longer runway would be good?  Is the present runway so short that it  presents a safety hazard?

[Snowy79]

27 minutes ago, Eddie1 said:

Dave, Just curious why a longer runway would be good?  Is the present runway so short that it  presents a safety hazard?

I'd guess to accept larger International planes. Bring in tourists from farther afield or more on one plane. 

[GeoffH]

Depending upon the length of the existing runway it might impact upon aircraft loading even if a particular plane can land there; heavier take off weights require a longer run up before take off.  Is the airport serviced by turbo-props or jets currently?  

[jimeve]

3 hours ago, GeoffH said:

Depending upon the length of the existing runway it might impact upon aircraft loading even if a particular plane can land there; heavier take off weights require a longer run up before take off.  Is the airport serviced by turbo-props or jets currently?  

Both, turbo-props for short flights to Cebu and jets for longer flights to Manila.

[GeoffH]

3 hours ago, jimeve said:

Both, turbo-props for short flights to Cebu and jets for longer flights to Manila.

 

It is a class 1 domestic airport with a single main runway but it only moves about 600,000 passengers a year, by comparison Francisco Bangoy International Airport (Davao), which is the third busiest in the Philippines after Manila and Cebu moves about 4.4 million passengers per year (way less than Cebu at around 12 million and Manila at around 47 million).

And there are four other busy class 1 domestic airports that all move between 2 million and 3 million passengers per year... being Clark, IloIlo, Puerto Princesa and Cagayan De Oro (and that's without considering another 5 that move between 1 million and 2 million passengers per year). *

It seems an unusual choice for an international airport upgrade but then I'm not an airport planner... just an ex (private) pilot.



* Clark is called Clark International airport but is still listed as class 1 domestic  

 

Edited July 17, 2021 by GeoffH

[Dave Hounddriver]

15 hours ago, Eddie1 said:

Dave, Just curious why a longer runway would be good?  Is the present runway so short that it  presents a safety hazard?

The current runway is legal length for the planes landing there.  But future growth in International flights is predicted to require a longer runway.  Bohol and Bacolod have longer ones and Dumaguete wants to keep up.  That is a big part of the push for a new airport.

[hk blues]

16 hours ago, GeoffH said:

* Clark is called Clark International airport but is still listed as class 1 domestic  

 

Same with Iloilo - called Iloilo International Airport and has international flights but...