The Regional Development Council (RDC) approved the inclusion of the proposed feasibility study on wastewater treatment plant for Panglao Island in the Central Visayas Regional Development Investment Program (RDIP) 2017-2022.
During the full council meeting, RDC-7 endorsed a feasibility study on the project to the National Economic and Development Authority Investment Coordination Committee (NEDA-ICC) secretariat for funding by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The project was among the three for Bohol that was endorsed by the RDC -7 during the body’s full council meeting on September 25 in Siquijor.
During the meeting, RDC-7 also endorsed the proposed Clarin Port Improvement Project to the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) for funding; and the proposed ecotourism projects of Clarin and San Miguel to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) and the Department of Tourism (DOT) for funding.
“The RDIP is the translation of the goals, objectives, and strategies of the Regional Development Plan (RDP) into viable programs, activities, and projects (PAPs); and serves as the basis of the RDC in endorsing PAPs for funding.”
The proposed wastewater treatment plant for Panglao Island “aims to arrest the contamination of groundwater and surrounding sea water in Panglao Island”.
Moreover, RDC-7 found it consistent with the Regional Development Plan (RDP) of Central Visayas for 2017-2022, particularly the strategy “to promote environmental quality through the enforcement of environmental laws, such as the Clean Water Act”, according to the RDC-7 report.
The project reached the attention of the RDC-7 when the provincial government of Bohol submitted to the RDC secretariat, its project profile with the corresponding endorsement from the Provincial Development Council.
“The proposed conduct of the feasibility study on the project meets the RDIP criteria on relevance, implementation feasibility, resources, environmental and social acceptability.”
On this, the Economic Development Committee (EDC) of RDC-7 then recommended to the RDC full council, its inclusion in the Central Visayas RDIP for 2017-2022.
The Technical Cooperation facility of JICA has been eyed as the source of funding for the project.
During its August 23 meeting, the EDC passed a resolution recommending RDC full council endorsement of the project to the NEDA-ICC Secretariat for JICA funding, subject to the submission of the accomplished JICA application form.
The EDC resolution also recommended the inclusion of the proposed FS in the RDIP.
The provincial government proposed the establishment of a water or septage treatment plant “to protect the environment of Panglao Island, and sustain tourism development in the area”.
The EDC found that the “proposed project passed the five RDIP criteria of relevance, implementation feasibility, resources, environmental acceptability, and social acceptability”.
During the meeting, the “DBP-RMC head asked how this project relates to a pre-FS done by JICA years ago”.
On this, “the staff of the Bohol Environmental Management Office (BEMO) said that the proposed FS would use the pre-FS as reference document”.