• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson bared more projects and programs of his administration for 2024, in his New Year’s message to the provincial government employees on Friday.
Among these is the purchase of the property from the first falls to the seventh falls of Mambukal Resort and Wildlife Sanctuary from the Mambucal Real Estate Development Corp.
He said that with the purchase of the property, the provincial government will now exercise control and ownership over the land surrounding the falls and river systems.
“Our focus will be on reforestation, ensuring the protection of our falls, and preserving our natural resources,” he added.
Lacson also revealed plans to enhance hotel facilities through the introduction of new tourism features such as trail running, hiking, biking, horseback riding, and potentially tramlines and ziplines to attract both local and foreign tourists.
Stressing that Mambukal has always been a hallmark of the provincial government tourism infrastructure projects, the governor said “as such, we aim to develop a world-class resort while at the same time, promoting ecological sustainability and protection”.
In the expansion of the Tambara project in Talisay City to 120 hectares, as part of the provincial government ongoing commitment to ecological integrity, he said the focus remains on planting giant bamboos to enhance forest cover and to facilitate the construction of the bamboo processing facility.
He reported that a private firm has expressed interest in establishing facilities, where an ample supply of bamboos is available for the production of engineered bamboos intended for export and as part of community livelihood.
Moreover, Lacson said nurseries have doubled their bamboo seedling production, with the cultivation of 6,000 seedlings a month, stressing that bamboo reforestation is the province’s climate change mitigation strategy.
“We will proceed with our plan for bamboo treatments employing Bali technology, which is suitable for housing and boasts long-lasting durability,” the governor added.
Now having possession of 7,000 square meters of property in Bacolod City, which used to be occupied by the Land Transportation Office, Boy Scouts of the Philippines and Veterans Bank, and reversion of a portion of the Negros Forest property to the provincial government, the province is planning to establish a Cyber Center II or pursue a public-private partnership project in those vacated areas, Lacson said.
He also said that to address congestion in the Capitol area and make good use of the motorpool area, a two-storey parking lot will be constructed for the employees.
“These are just a few of the projects and programs we have for this year, complementing our already established initiatives under our Abanse Negrense development agenda,” Lacson further said. | GB
