BORACAY – The Boracay Island Development Authority (BIDA) versions of Davao City 1st District’s Rep. Paulo Duterte, ACT-CIS Party-list’s Rep. Eric Yap and Aklan 1st District’s Rep. Carlito Marquez cleared two House committees.
House Bill (HB) No. 6214 and HB 7256 are now waiting consolidation with other pending bills and recommendations for plenary action.
The committee on government enterprises and privatization chaired by Parañaque City’s Rep. Eric Olivarez, and the local government committee chaired by Tarlac 3rd District’s Rep. Noel Villanueva held virtual committee meetings on Nov. 11, 2020 to tackle the measures that seek to establish BIDA.
Aklan 2nd District’s Rep. Teodorico Haresco Jr., on the other hand, considered his HB 4175 seeking to create the Boracay Island Council “moot and academic” now.
During the zoom meeting, Haresco said HB 6214 filed by Yap and Duterte is far more superior than his HB 4175. The amended version of HB 6214 creates BIDA as a special economic zone as well to exist as a government-owned and -controlled corporation (GOCC).
“Consider my bill being moot and academic, I am supporting 101 percent the version of Yap and Duterte,” Haresco added.
Three months ago, Marquez filed HB 7256 that declare Boracay Island and Caticlan, a barangay in mainland Malay, under the “special development administrative zone” of BIDA.
The solon said the enhanced inter-agency body will formulate, implement and oversee policies as well as enforce national laws and local ordinances to sustain the development of Boracay Island.
“Kailangan ang tulong ng national government upang tuluyang maisaayos ang mga kalsada at drainage systems dahil hindi naman kaya ng local government na pundohan ang mga ganitong proyekto,” Marquez stressed in a separate radio interview./PN
