The Board of Investments (BOI) together with Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region 8, conducted its first Kickoff Meeting for the creation of the Leyte Ecological Industrial Zone (LEIZ) Master Plan last 15 January 2019 at the NEDA Regional Office Conference Room.
In 2017, Atty. Raul Angeles of the BOI and Dr. Buboy Dargantes of the Visayas State University signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the preparation of documents necessary for the LEIZ Master Plan. Hopes are high that this master plan will eventually materialize so that this will be readily available for the region and its potential investors.
The development of the LEIZ Masterplan is one of the action items under the Copper Industry Roadmap. Its objective is to develop a copper industry cluster, preferably in Leyte, which may be supported through the establishment of an ecological industrial zone. Government stakeholders in Region 8 expressed their support to this project through the RDC Resolution No. 35, s. 2016.
The Master Plan will identify suitable areas in Leyte where copper processing and allied activities may be located taking into consideration existing industrial zones and port facilities. The identification of existing and planned industrial zones will include details on how to develop, promote and optimize these areas.
The development of the LEIZ Master Plan commenced in January 2019 and is targeted to be completed in February 2020. The Master Plan will be developed by Palafox Associates as consultant. Palafox Associates, a firm whose expertise include architectural design, master planning, urban design of islands, provinces, cities, municipalities and towns, and environmental planning, was awarded as the most responsive bidder following a public bidding conducted by the BOI.
The Kickoff Meeting paved way for the consultation of Palafox with the stakeholders; thus the creation of the Regional Technical Working Group for the LEIZ Master Plan and feasibility studies. The said group was divided into four sub-clusters namely, (1) Business Investment and Enabling Group, (2) Infrastructure, (3) Social Services, (4) Natural Resources Development. These sub-clusters are composed of national government organizations, civic organizations and local government units.
Data gathering by Palafox Associates and series of consultations with concerned local government units and the Regional TWG will follow after the said meeting.♦
Date of release: 20 February 2019