• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The public hearing for the proposed tree park project of the Bacolod City government in Barangay Alangilan is set on Aug. 15 at the covered court of the barangay.
The project will cover 87,836 square meters of the total 147,846 square-meter city property, and aims to create “a significant green space within the city (that) will not only help mitigate climate change…but will also enhance the city’s image as an environmentally-conscious and livable destination (and) provide much needed recreational spaces for the community.”
During the blessing and groundbreaking ceremony Sept. 4 last year, then mayor Alfredo Benitez said the initial phase of the project, worth P47-million, will include land development, such as the entrance to the picnic and glamping area.
Funding for the whole master development plan, that will have four phases, is around P500 million, and will be sourced from the P4.4-billion loan of the city government with the Development Bank of the Philippines.
Per its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), the proposed project area is designated as Parks and Recreation Zone under Zoning Ordinance No. 993-2022, consistent with the proposed project. “Thus, there are no conflicts with regards to the land’s intended use and its actual application.”
There is also an existing tree park in the proposed project site, which serves as a strong foundation for further development into a fully-established tree park project, it added. | CGC
