Leyte eco-zone to spur regional growth

Architectural design ace Felino “Jun” Palafox helped craft the eco-zone masterplan. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

The country’s leading industry and investments agency, the Board of Investments (BoI) on Thursday announced the development of the master plan for the Leyte Ecological Industrial Zone (LEIZ) to spur economic growth in Yolanda-stricken Leyte, as well as other areas in Eastern Visayas.

The masterplan will be developed by Palafox Associates as the consultant, the firm awarded by the BoI as “most responsive bidder” following their public bidding.

Palafox Associates focuses in architectural design, master planning, urban design of islands, provinces, cities, municipalities and towns and environmental planning.

The LEIZ masterplan development is one of the action items under the Copper Industry Roadmap, BoI said. The roadmap is geared towards developing a copper industry cluster particularly in Leyte to support the area’s growth and generate employment.

Part of Palafox Associates’ work plan is to discuss with the local stakeholders for the development of the master plan, while BoI also said that government stakeholders in Region VIII and Leyte are in support of the project.

Meanwhile, the copper industry roadmap, crafted by industry stakeholders in 2012, is also a part of the government’s efforts to rehabilitate Leyte after the devastation of typhoon Yolanda, BoI said. The roadmap is in line with BoI’s Industry Development Program.

“The establishment of the LEIZ and development of a copper industry cluster in Leyte serves as our medium to long-term strategic economic objective consistent with the agency’s industry development mandate,” Trade Undersecretary and BoI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo said.

“This is a showcase project for the agency, filling in the value chain gaps and missing links and fully integrating the Philippine copper industry and its allied industries.”

BoI added that the master plan, set for completion in February 2020, will identify suitable areas for copper processing and related activities in Leyte “taking into consideration existing industrial zones and port facilities.”

After the completion of the plan, BoI is set to market it to local or foreign investors.

Meanwhile, Rodolfo also said that the industry clustering inside the LEIZ will bring down logistics cost as well as provide steady power supply.

Leyte is home to one of the country’s biggest geothermal power plants.