The Cebu provincial government is moving to accelerate the completion of pending reclamation projects and revise its existing land-use policies to attract new investments while aligning with national laws, officials said.
Provincial Administrator Joseph Felix Mari ‘Ace’ Durano said the review of Cebu’s reclamation ordinance and property assessment framework is part of a broader strategy to make the province more competitive for industrial and commercial development.
‘Before the current version of the ordinance, there were three compliance options – giving 10 percent of the area, paying the agreed value, or swapping for land of equal value,’ Durano explained. ‘Now, only the actual land turnover is allowed, and that has become a hindrance for investors.’
The existing ordinance requires developers to cede 10 percent of usable reclaimed land to the provincial government, a provision that has discouraged investors who need full site utilization for operations.
Cebu is now working with the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) and private developers to finalize amendments that would bring local policies in line with national rules while expediting stalled reclamation projects.
Durano who is a former tourism secretary, the provincial government is not promoting large-scale reclamation indiscriminately but recognizes its importance in addressing Cebu’s scarcity of developable land.
‘If we want to attract more investments, we need to create more usable land – just like Singapore and Hong Kong. With proper regulation, industrial growth and environmental protection can coexist,’ he said.
Durano identified at least three pending reclamation projects in Cebu – the Mingmori project in Minglanilla, the Ione project in Cordova, and the planned reclamation in Balamban to support the expansion of shipbuilding company Tsuneishi.
Alongside the ordinance review, the province is reassessing property values following complaints from business groups about rising real estate taxes. Preliminary results indicate lower valuations for industrial and agricultural properties, which could ease fiscal pressure on enterprises.
Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro has directed that no increase in real property tax rates will be implemented in 2026.
The provincial government has also reactivated the Local Board of Assessment Appeals to resolve disputes involving property appraisals.