‘Why not? As long as it’s safe’

The Stria | Contributed Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — For Cebu 4th District Rep. Sun Shimura, constructing high rises should not be a problem on islands like Bantayan as long as they comply with existing environmental laws.

Reacting to the controversy surrounding The Stria, the 11-storey resort in Santa Fe, Shimura said islands should open up to progress.

“Why not? The Maldives has it, other countries have it, in front of the beach,” Shimura told reporters during the sidelines of the State of the Province Address of Gov. Pamela Baricuatro.

But the lawmaker stressed that any development should follow environmental regulations.

“For me, why not? For as long as it’s safe, and it’s not bad for the environment, why take away the development sa isla,” said Shimura.

Additionally, local governments must consult and follow recommendations from Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUPs) to determine the feasibility of high-rise structures in their territories.

CLUP is a comprehensive plan by the local government unit (LGU) ‘designed to guide it on land use and resource allocation, promoting sustainable development in areas like economic, infrastructure, and social, among others.’

Through CLUPs, the LGU can identify areas where the construction of structures, including high-rises, is feasible.

The Stria, an upcoming luxury high-rise resort, came under fire over alleged violations of its Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC). In particular, the prescribed height limit.

Since the entire island of Bantayan has been declared a protected area, structures should not exceed the four-storey or 10-meter height limit.

Regulators from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) have since ordered the suspension of construction activities of The Stria.

Developers, however, have since insisted that the project underwent all legal processes and that the height limit was only advisory, not actionable. /csl

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