Minglanilla industrial park to employ 75,000

CEBU, Philippines - The 100-hectare industrial park in Minglanilla, which will be opening in the next few months, will employ at least 75,000 workers.

A Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) with the Municipality of Minglanilla, Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) and a consortium of Cebuano businessmen, the Ming-Mori Industrial Project targets to operate within the year or early next year said Jose Soberano III,

Ming-Mori Development Corporation chairman and president.

PRA and representatives from the municipality of Minglanilla yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the Waterfront Hotel in Mactan.

The project was formally announced three years ago but it was only this year that the industrial park completed its necessary requirements such as ECC (Environmental Compliance Certificate), EIS ( Environmental Imoact Statement), and other documentary requirements from the government.

Soberano's real estate development company Cebu Landmasters Inc., (CLI) will develop and manage the industrial zone.

Cebu's shortage for economic zones has led the PPP to materialize, as PRA general manager and chief executive officer Janilo Rubiato vowed to acceletate the approval process.

PRA and other government agencies, Minglanilla and the Cebu province own 51 percent of the entire project, while Ming-Mori Development Corporation owns the 49 percent stake.

The Ming-Mori Industrial Park is the first PPP project in this part of the province.

 CLI chief operating officer Franco Soberano said that the industrial park targets to attract light industries like Japanese manufacturing.

Ming-Mori Industrial Park, designed by urban masterplanner and architect Jun Palafox, will have modern commercial support amenities.

 In the last three years, Soberano said the company's team had been doing the promotional roadshows targetting the countries of Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, among others.

 The five-phase reclamation industrial park project is considered as a landmark development inMinglanilla, and is expected to generate thousand of jobs and indirect employment generation in the southern part of Cebu, and will be located at the coastal barangays of Tulay and Calajo-an.

The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) is now relaxing its requirements to encourage private developers venture into this kind of project.

 The availability of ecozone locations could invite more investors to open up their plants in Cebu, considering the quality of workforce here.

Aside from Soberano, the Ming-Mori Development Corporation is also joined by other Cebuano businessmen like Earl Kokseng, Ricardo King, Reagan King, and businessman based in Cagayan de Oro City. (FREEMAN)