The city government of Zamboanga is currently consolidating the documentary requirements to facilitate the approval of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and transfer of additional funds amounting to P200 million for the New Zamboanga International Airport (NZIA) project.
Mayor John Dalipe had to meet Friday. April 14, with heads of the different city government offices as they discussed the issues and concerns pertaining to submission of the documents as required by DOTr.
These documents include a Sangguniang Panlungsod Resolution authorizing Mayor Dalipe to enter/sign the MOA with DOTr, bank certificate, treasurer’s bond, program of work for DOTr’s concurrence, implementing schedule/timeline, and disbursement schedule.
The additional P200 million will be used for NZIA’s site acquisition and construction of temporary perimeter fence along the boundaries of the airport strip project. This is obtained through the efforts Majority leader and District II Cong. Mannix Dalipe.
Of the amount, only P157 million will be released under the first tranche.
Meanwhile, the city government has been awaiting the release of P800 million and P1 billion for the airport project, the requirements of which have already been complied with and submitted to the funding agency, DOTr.
To recall, the DOTr has already released to the city government through Land Bank the amount of P180 million from the first airport funding of P200 million.
Meanwhile, it was reported that around 1,650 residents and stakeholders are subject for relocation as they have been staying within the proposed airport area in Mercedes, Talabaan and Zambowood, east of the city.
This was the result of the tagging and census validation (TCV) conducted from March 2022 to March 2023 by the Housing Land Management Division (HLMD) on the effected persons, families and households, who are currently residing in the impacted/proposed airport area.
The HLMD headed by Rodrigo Pagotaisidro is now in the process of formulating the Boalan Resettlement Action Plan based on the data gathered during the conduct of the actual TCV.
The Sta. Lucia Property in Boalan has been identified as resettlement area composed of three parcels of land totaling 268,777 sq.m., where to relocate the families and stakeholders, including a school, that will be affected by the airport project.
Present during the meeting were City Legal Officer Atty. Haydee Gretchen Panganiban, City Budget Officer Geraldine dela Paz, Acting City Planning and Development Coordinator Luz Agbayani, City Engineer Christopher Navarro, Pagotaisidro, among others. (Vic Larato, photo courtesy by Kathy Wee Sit)
(Source: City Government of Zamboanga Facebook page)