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By JUNE S. BLANCO
AN AUSTRALIAN investor is bullish to build the
Bohol-Cebu Friendship Bridge and a renewable energy power plant. Rep. Erico
Aristotle Aumentado (Bohol, 2ndDistrict) met with the investor who said he just
needs the green light to fund the construction of the bridge until completion
under the public-private partnership program. To recoup his investment, the
investor said he will charge toll fees as a fund recovery mechanism provided in
the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Law. The investor, the solon said, is ready to
fund the feasibility study and detailed engineering design to prepare the groundwork
for the construction. The bridge, estimated to be 22 kilometers long and
costing between P30 billion to P35 billion, will make Bohol accessible to the
Cebu market not only in terms of goods and services but also in terms of
tourist influx. Aumentado is equally bullish for this project, this being the
brainchild of his father and namesake, the late Rep. Erico Boyles Aumentado.
The son recalls the excitement of his father every time he discussed the
project with prospective investors. The father was a visionary – always
thinking ahead of his time. He caused the concreting of the Bohol
Circumferential Road, allowing easy transport of goods from the towns to the
Tagbilaran market, hastening the economic development of the towns. Even the
proposed Panglao Airport, conceived during the time of former Gov. Constancio
Torralba and pursued by his successors in former governors David Tirol and Rene
Relampagos, made big strides during Aumentado's incumbency as governor. The
Bohol-Cebu Friendship Bridge opening up opportunities for farmers, the
unemployed and for tourism is classic “Erico Aumentado mind”at work.
The Australian investor promised the young
congressman that his company will mobilize resources to bankroll this project
that will leapfrog Bohol's development in the light of the ASEAN economic
integration. Rep. Aris says he wants to strengthen the agriculture development
of the 2nd District to capitalize on the integration. On top of the bridge,
Aumentado said the investor is exploring the possibility of putting up a
15-megawatt (MW) renewable power plant to support the investment initiatives of
the province. To recall, as early as 2007, then Gov. Aumentado had predicted
that by 2015 to 2018, Bohol will suffer from severe power shortage, especially
with the construction of the Panglao Airport that is expected to need between
20-25 MW. He had invited investors like the Ayalas to fill in the power gaps.
Even the multi-purpose Northern Bohol Basin initiated by the late governor and
pursued by his congressman son is expected to produce another 10 MW. Adding to
this the 15 MW renewable energy the Australian investor's company will put up,
will strengthen Bohol's infrastructure development to entice investors to
locate in the province. --- END
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This is the foundation to develop the Ubay Airport for the Aviation Training Facilities here in Central Visayas.Most likely to transfer the Cebu-Mactan International Airport to some of the island in Ubay, Bohol in the future..
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