Dumaguete City has secured approval from the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) to proceed with backfilling an unfinished section of reclaimed land at Pantawan People’s Park in Barangay Tinago.
Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria said on Tuesday, September 30, that the PRA granted the necessary permission to fill the water-filled cavity, which the authority considers separate from the rest of the park.
This green light allows the city government to begin refilling an excavated area that had been left incomplete, paving the way for further development in the park.
The backfilling process has already begun, with the city using materials from its own supplies, ensuring no additional financial burden on the local government.
Sagarbarria emphasized that the city always seeks approval from the PRA for any activities at the park, as it remains under their jurisdiction.
This follows a previous cease-and-desist order issued due to unauthorized reclamation work under the past administration, which lacked the necessary permits from both the PRA and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
The area in question was originally designated for an Olympic-sized swimming pool to host the ASEAN Schools Games, but the event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the PRA has authorized the current use of the park, it has stipulated that no new developments can take place until the city fulfills all regulatory requirements and officially titles the land.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, contributes to Negros Daily Bulletin, and maintains a personal blog on Medium.