The Philippine Reclamation Authority has
raised its concern over the decision of the Pasay City government to go
ahead with engaging the private sector in the planned 300 hectare
reclamation project in Manila Bay as the former has yet to secure the
go-ahead signal from the agency.
In a statement sent to MST, PRA said that the latest move of the
Pasay City government subjecting the unsolicited proposal for the 300
hectares reclamation project in Manila Bay submitted to it by the SM
Group to a “Swiss Challenge” is yet to be sanctioned by the govenment
agency in-charge for the country’s land reclamation activities”.
Lawyer Joselito D. Gonzales, PRA Asssistant General Manager for Reclamation & Regulation emphasized that under existing laws, the agency has the mandate to integrate, coordinate and approve all reclamation projects nationwide.
“The 300-hectare Pasay City reclamation project has not even reached the first stage as no formal submission has been received by PRA to date. In fact, under current approval protocols being adhered to by the agency, reclamation projects would need to be endorsed by PRA to the NEDA Board for approval, the statement said.
The PRA also stated that last August 22, 2013, it formally wrote Pasay Mayor Calixto to inform the City about the proposed ‘Government Center Project’ to be situated within the area where the 300-hectare reclamation project is to be built.
The City did not respond to the PRA letter and on October 2, 2013, media reports came out regarding the unsolicited proposal by the SM Group to Pasay City and the subsequent conduct of a Swiss Challenge by the City to solicit competitive proposals to the SM offer.
Reclamation projects undergo a rigorous 5-stage approval process according to PRA. These include securing an Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC), submission of flooding and drainage studies, public consultations by the proponents, detailed engineering designs, geo-hazard assessment as well as financial feasibility studies.
Henry Sy-led SM Land Inc. earlier submitted an unsolicited proposal worth P54.5 billion to the Pasay City government for the reclamation of a 300-hectare “foreshore and onshore” Manila Bay areas within the Pasay City’s jurisdiction.
Financing of the project will be shouldered by SM Land in full under a joint venture (JV) with the Pasay government, according to the proposal.
The Pasay reclamation project is separate from, but adjacent to, similar reclamation projects being considered by the local governments of Las Piñas, Parañaque and Manila.
SM Land projected a seven year completion and offered to give the city government a share of 51 percent of the reclaimed land, or about 153 hectares.
Property giant Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) has also expressed its interest to bid for the project, directly competing against the SM group.
The plot thickens
As this develop,the Pasay City government rejected the petition of ALI to extend the deadline for the submission of a counter bid to the P54.5-billion unsolicited offer of SM Land.
Ayala Land chief operating officer Bobby Dy said they would review all its options, including going to court to stop the bidding process, not participating in the bidding, or seeking for a reconsideration.
He said ALI was surprised and disappointed with the Pasay City government’s decision to push through with the Nov. 4, 2013 deadline for submission of bids for the reclamation project.
He said the city’s move was “very unlike” other public-private-participation projects wherein the government, in order to encourage a lot of companies to participate in the bidding, agreed several times to extend deadline for submission of financial and technical bids.
source: Manila Standard
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Lawyer Joselito D. Gonzales, PRA Asssistant General Manager for Reclamation & Regulation emphasized that under existing laws, the agency has the mandate to integrate, coordinate and approve all reclamation projects nationwide.
“The 300-hectare Pasay City reclamation project has not even reached the first stage as no formal submission has been received by PRA to date. In fact, under current approval protocols being adhered to by the agency, reclamation projects would need to be endorsed by PRA to the NEDA Board for approval, the statement said.
The PRA also stated that last August 22, 2013, it formally wrote Pasay Mayor Calixto to inform the City about the proposed ‘Government Center Project’ to be situated within the area where the 300-hectare reclamation project is to be built.
The City did not respond to the PRA letter and on October 2, 2013, media reports came out regarding the unsolicited proposal by the SM Group to Pasay City and the subsequent conduct of a Swiss Challenge by the City to solicit competitive proposals to the SM offer.
Reclamation projects undergo a rigorous 5-stage approval process according to PRA. These include securing an Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC), submission of flooding and drainage studies, public consultations by the proponents, detailed engineering designs, geo-hazard assessment as well as financial feasibility studies.
Henry Sy-led SM Land Inc. earlier submitted an unsolicited proposal worth P54.5 billion to the Pasay City government for the reclamation of a 300-hectare “foreshore and onshore” Manila Bay areas within the Pasay City’s jurisdiction.
Financing of the project will be shouldered by SM Land in full under a joint venture (JV) with the Pasay government, according to the proposal.
The Pasay reclamation project is separate from, but adjacent to, similar reclamation projects being considered by the local governments of Las Piñas, Parañaque and Manila.
SM Land projected a seven year completion and offered to give the city government a share of 51 percent of the reclaimed land, or about 153 hectares.
Property giant Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) has also expressed its interest to bid for the project, directly competing against the SM group.
The plot thickens
As this develop,the Pasay City government rejected the petition of ALI to extend the deadline for the submission of a counter bid to the P54.5-billion unsolicited offer of SM Land.
Ayala Land chief operating officer Bobby Dy said they would review all its options, including going to court to stop the bidding process, not participating in the bidding, or seeking for a reconsideration.
He said ALI was surprised and disappointed with the Pasay City government’s decision to push through with the Nov. 4, 2013 deadline for submission of bids for the reclamation project.
He said the city’s move was “very unlike” other public-private-participation projects wherein the government, in order to encourage a lot of companies to participate in the bidding, agreed several times to extend deadline for submission of financial and technical bids.
source: Manila Standard
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