BACOLOD CITY — The development of the 38-hectare economic zone (ecozone) in Silay City, Negros Occidental is expected to start early this year.
Roberto Montelibano, president of Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI), said before the New Year they are waiting for the final valuation for the site.
The property was previously owned by Rolando Arnaiz, a member of the MBCCI.
Montelibano said the ecozone is mainly for light manufacturing. It is now open to interested investors, he added.
The property adjacent to the Bacolod-Silay airport in Negros Occidental has been registered by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) as a special ecozone.
Dubbed the Bacolod-Silay Ecozone and Technopark, the site in Barangay Bagtic has been acquired by the Golden Dragon Agri-Aqua Corporation.
The signing of the registration agreement was held in September last year between PEZA Director General Charito Plaza and Golden Dragon Agri-Aqua Corporation president Eric Hernaez at the PEZA office in Taguig City.
The registration is provided under Proclamation No. 315 issued by President Rodrigo Duterte on September 14, pursuant to Republic Act No. 7916, or the Special Economic Zone Act of 1995.
Jocelle Batapa-Sigue, executive director of the Bacolod-Negros Occidental Federation for Information and Communications Technology, who witnessed the signing had said the Bacolod-Silay Ecozone and Technopark is the 20th presidentially proclaimed ecozone in Bacolod City, and the first mixed-use zone in Negros Occidental.
“The ecozone will now allow the province to attract various types of locators from the information technology, manufacturing, tourism, agro-industrial, retirement villages, and other industries,” she added.
Porferio Montesclaros, a trustee of the Mactan Export Processing Zone Chamber of Exporters and Manufacturers, then said the development will spread the economic boom of Silay City and Negros Occidental.
Montescarlos said that to make this happen, there should be a collaboration between the government and the private sector.
For her part, Plaza thanked Hernaez for registering with PEZA as she encouraged the firm’s top official to work hard in attracting investors to create jobs in the countryside, the press statement added. (PNA)
