The Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) on Monday said it is set to break ground this month for the construction of the CEZA corporate and commercial centers inside an 11-hectare property dubbed the CEZA Global City.

The parks are expected to boost tourism in Santa Ana and nearby Palaui Island but without sacrificing its features for unplanned and unregulated tourism growth

Secretary Raul Lambino, CEZA administrator and chief executive officer, said the two buildings would be ready for occupancy by early next year.

The centers are seen to fill the demand for offices inside the Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport’s (CSEZFP) 26 financial technology principal licensees. Local commercial banks and new business locators in the tourism and manufacturing sectors are also setting up offices in the centers.

The centers are among the infrastructure that will rise in CSEZFP covering the municipality of Sta. Ana in Cagayan.

In addition, CEZA is also gearing up for the improvement and rehabilitation of Port Irene, with six new warehouses being constructed in response to the demand for space from port users importing construction materials and supplies as well as a variety of loose cargoes.

CEZA said that CAGWEI, a Chinese company, has also finished the construction of a paper-recycling plant which could turn in tons of regular and special papers for domestic use and export to countries especially in the Asia-Pacific region.

CEZA will also seek authority from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and engage the local government unit and other organizations for the development of the Nangaramoan Eco-Tourism Park and the Palaui Island Eco-Tourism Park.

The parks are expected to boost tourism in Santa Ana and nearby Palaui Island but without sacrificing its features for “unplanned and unregulated tourism growth,” Lambino said.

“We have to protect and preserve these natural tourism havens from commercial abuse.

We will allow Santa Ana and Palaui Island to breathe, not to be choked by exploitation,” he added.

CEZA is also expected to advocate medical tourism, facilitate private investments and develop retirement villages as well as aligned tourism facilities and put in place best practices, international compliance, quality standards, building codes and environmental safeguards.

The CEZA administrator has tapped a local company to work on a master development plan including feasibility studies such as financial viability for projects approved by the CEZA board for the 54,000-hectare special economic zone and freeport.

https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2019/04/09/ceza-ecozone-centers-launched/