Centcom move to Balamban pushed

First posted 10:44am (Mla time) Aug 10, 2006
Cebu Daily News
http://specials.inq7.net/theenvironmentreport/index.php?ver=1&index=1&story_id=14471

THE Cebu provincial government will ask the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to facilitate the “re-declaration” of the areas covered by national park in Balamban town.

Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia said that this would pave the way for the setting up of a military camp in the area within the reserve for use of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Central Command (AFP Centcom) Headquarters.

Garcia said she would meet with DENR Secretary Angelo Reyes to discuss Capitol's request.
This will be made when the Capitol eventually takes back 80 hectares presently being occupied by the Centcom headquarters in Cebu City.

Governor Garcia during her State of the Province Address (SOPA) said that she hopes to retrieve the properties and transform them into an economic enterprise for the Capitol through lease.

“This will now be utilizing resources for more revenues to deliver better services,” Garcia said.
The Capitol legal office including Garcia along with officials from the Department of National Defense met in Manila last Monday to discuss the details of the transfer.

The governor said details of the discussions will be revealed in a later date. She said that they will be signing a memorandum of agreement with the military, which will also include the inclusion of an adjacent lot owned by the AFP to be included in the Capitol's development of their 80- hectare lot.

Garcia said that the military wanted to include their own property so that it will also earn when the Capitol lots eventually gets developed.

The governor said that the AFP wanted the earnings for their properties to be used as additional funds for its modernization program.

Reporter Dale G. Israel