This is to clarify to all stakeholders and to the general public that the Philippine Reclamation Authority has not approved the much publicized 300 hectare reclamation project in Manila Bay within the jurisdiction of Pasay City. Further, consistent with PRA’s previous statements, the recent bidding process conducted by Pasay City pertains only to the determination of who the best joint venture partner for the City will be. The power to award reclamation projects is lodged with the National Government through the President of the Philippines, and to date no such award has been made whether to Pasay City or SM Land, Inc.

While the PRA acknowledges that it received a project proposal from the City of Pasay to reclaim 300 hectares of land, the PRA is yet to act on the processing of the said proposal. The Authority has not yet started its regular approval process since PRA first exercised extraordinary diligence by requiring Pasay City to secure a validating opinion from the Department of Justice or from the Department of the Interior and Local Government. An opinion from either of the two agencies is not a regular requirement but was required otherwise due to the numerous issues raised by other challengers on the bidding process conducted by Pasay City.

Assuming the DOJ or the DILG issues a legal opinion in favor of Pasay City, only then shall the process commence. The proposal will have to undergo PRA’s five-stage approval process which involves, among others, a technical evaluation by PRA and an approval from the National Economic and Development Authority Board. If it gets through these two major stages, the proposal will have to undergo a competitive bidding process to be undertaken by the PRA. The PRA has repeatedly emphasized that pursuant to Executive Order No. 146, all reclamation projects are subject to public bidding, including this 300-hectare Pasay Reclamation Project.

PHILIPPINE RECLAMATION AUTHORITY MANAGEMENT AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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