First the good news. The leadership of the municipality of Panglao is now open to the reclamation project. The bad news is that there is preferential treatment to one player. Residents who have been clamoring for the conduct of an environmental study said this is welcome news because the present set of officers had initially resisted the presentation for the reclamation project. According to sources at the Sangguniang Bayan (SB), the council is now amenable to receive the presentation of a new group that is interested to reclaim land for a tourism-related venture. The turn-around, however, is met with skepticism and even resentment by residents of three villages who were not given the same privileges by the municipal council.

“Mao nay di maayo (This is the part that is not good),” said a fisherman leader of a community organization. He declined to be identified because he belongs to an organization and his opinion might be interpreted as the opinion of the group. Up to the point when he agreed to be interviewed, the source said the new development has not been discussed by his organization. The fisherman recalled that several months ago, he and other fishermen and their families wanted to have an audience with the SB regarding the proposed reclamation project. He said that instead of receiving them, the SB resorted to technicalities to justify the move to refuse them attendance and participation in the session. “Karon, nakadungog mi nga andam na sila nga maminaw ining bag-ong salta (Now, we heard that they are ready to listen to this new player),” he lamented. Although he admitted that he was not privy The fisherman has one-word to describe the action of the SB – if it is true: pihig-pihig (partial).

He refused to identify the new player but was sure that this was a different one than Oasis Leisure Island Development Inc. (OLIDI). Even though it was able to hold an initial presentation with the SB in the previous administration, the present SB refused to listen to it while coming out with a resolution opposing any reclamation project in the town. The fisherman clarified that while his group is now open to the reclamation project presented by OLIDI, they are still waiting for the result of the environmental study on the project.           He said that in the event that the study will show that it will not be good for the environment, his group will withdraw its support for the project. OLIDI has also given the same commitment. The stand of the new investor on the environmental project was not immediately available. According to the fisherman, he will convince the member of his group to lobby the SB to give the same opportunity to OLIDI that it is giving the new investor. “Patas lang (just equal treatment),” he added. The fisherman said it is unfair to OLIDI which he admitted took pains to present the mechanics of the project and hold dialogues about it with them.