Malaysia-based Mercury Group Private Limited local partner Marilou W. Ampuan who is also the secretary of Mindanao Islamic Chamber of Commerce expressed her confidence on the implementation of one of the first Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects considered by the revised Davao City PPP Board under the administration of Mayor Sara Duterte.
Mercury Group had previously submitted a proposal for a P25 billion, 200-hectare land reclamation project in Isla Verde, Davao City which it sought to transform into a mixed-used development, including theme parks, tenement housing, commercial spaces, and hotels.
The proposal was presented to then Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who acknowledged the project.
Ampuan said that with the change in administration, the PPP board was also revised as well as its guidelines. This means that the Mercury Group had to revise some documents since the initial signatories were made by the former Mayor.
Speaking during the business forum at DermPath, SM City Davao, Ampuan stated that on December 2016, the revised PPP Board had its first meeting in which one of the agenda was the introduction of new projects. One of them was the Isla Verde project. She added that as the local partner, she presented the chronological background of the Mercury Group.
Ampuan pointed out that Mindanao is the area of responsibility of former consul general Abdullah Zawawi Tahir as he was mandated to help fellow Muslims in times of disaster.
To recall, it was reported that a massive fire leveled off thousands of houses at Isla Verde along Quezon Blvd., Davao City in 2014. Isla Verde was home to many Muslim residents of the city.
“It is one of the missions of the Malaysian Consulate… to help Muslim constituents by extending support since it was the mandate of (former) consul general Abdullah Zawawi Tahir,” Ampuan told reporters as she said that the Malaysian investors who consist the Mercury Group were tapped by the former consul general during his term.
According to Ampuan, during the PPP board meeting, City Administrator Zuleika Lopez who represented Mayor Duterte expressed positive feedback on the project, adding that the city administrator requested the Mercury Group to submit the technical aspects of the project.
Ampuan said that the Malaysian firm cannot comply with the deadline set on February this year since the feasibility study is still on-going which will determine the exact cost of as well as the area covered by the project.
“There is still no official proponent status,” stressed Ampuan who added that the number of hectares needs to be reconfirmed by the City Planning Office and said that the feasibility study is vital to determine the project cost since the investors want to consider the expenses which is “worth millions”.
Ampuan said local consultants were tapped by the Malaysian investors to comply with all the requirements needed although for three years, the investors have been visiting Davao to check the potentials of the city.
