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[av_heading heading=’ Free lots for locals vs ship recycling plant ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’31’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY RANIE AZUE
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Friday, October 27, 2017
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BACOLOD City – Locals who may be displaced by the planned conversion of agricultural lands in Barangay Bacuyangan, Hinoba-an, Negros Occidental into an industrial zone will be relocated.
The provincial government is also offering them free farm lots, Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Salvador Escalante revealed.
The planned conversion of more than 300 hectares of arable lands will give way to the construction of a multibillion-peso ship recycling facility.
Many residents, mostly farmers, are against it.
The relocation and free farm lots are among the “win-win solutions” the capitol has in mind, said Escalante, chairman of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan budget and finance committee.
Farmers with certificates of landownership award, or CLOA, will still have to pay the government monthly amortizations but if they agree to relocate, they could have lots of their own free of charge, he said.
The Provincial Board member also stressed that the ship recycling plant can provide the locals job opportunities.
“They currently earn between P500 and P1,000 per week, but if they land a job at the ship recycling plant, they could earn such amount in just two days,” Escalante said.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan supports the Hinoba-an municipal ordinance allowing the land conversion.
Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. will allot funds for the purchase of a relocation site for locals who may be displaced, Escalante said but he did not say how much and where the money will be sourced.
On Wednesday, around 200 protestors from Save Hinoba-an Movement staged a protest outside the capitol.
They demanded that the provincial government withdraw its support for the land conversion and stop the planned construction of the ship recycling plant./PN
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