What are waiting for?

This is the question being asked by fishermen on the delay experienced by Oasis Leisure Island Development Inc. (OLIDI) which is proposing to build a tourist facility in Panglao. Oasis had said that it has dutifully complied with the requirements but up to this time the project has been stalled due to the opposition put up by rival business entities. “ Nganong nadugay man ni (Why is this delayed)?” asked a fisherman who wants to know the status of the project. The fisherman said that in their dialogues with Oasis, they learned that it has complied even with those that are not required by law. The proponent told them they had expected to move on to the next level after the laying the groundwork in the previous administration but encountered rough sailing when the new set of officers took over last year. “Critics of the project told us it will destroy the environment so we welcomed the conduct of an environmental study so that their concerns will be addressed once and for all,” another fisherman said in Cebuano. Unfortunately, they said there seems to be no proof that the said environmental study will be held in the near future.

A state university has reportedly offered its services to conduct the environmental study on the project. Oasis had welcomed this offer hoping that it will speed up the conduct of the environmental study that will hopefully resolve the impasse. “For as long as the study is conducted in an objective manner, we do not see any reason for concern,” the proponent declared in a previous statement. Oasis said this is proof that it is not afraid of anything and has no hidden agenda as what its critics would like to suggest. The proponent pointed out that it has always batted for the conduct of an environmental study precisely because this will determine the fate of the project. “If the results of the study will say that it will be harmful to the environment, then that is the end of the story,” the statement added.

 Oasis, however, expressed optimism that the results will validate that it has been saying that the project will have very minimal effects on the environment. At the same time, the project proponent said it wants to speed up not only the environmental study but the project itself because the delay is unfair to all concerned. “We are getting impatient (over the delay),” said a young man who said he is a fisherman like his father. He said fishermen like him who stand to benefit from the project are getting impatient over the delay. The impatience is understandable because the villagers want to know if the project will proceed or not.  “Many of us have high expectations that we will benefit from the project so it is unfortunate that we are being made to wait,” the statement added.  Oasis reaffirmed its position that unless an objective and credible environmental study will come out with favorable results, it will not push through with the project. “The ball is now in the hands of the authorities who should let us know if they want the project to continue or not,” the fishermen said.