Downtowns and Urban Centers

[tyronne]

100 hectares = 1 km²
800,000 ha = 8,000 km²

thanks to http://www.easysurf.cc/cnver11.htm for the conversion

[thomasian]

thanks for that tyronne , palpak na naman conversion ko

[tyronne]

Originally Posted by thomasian

thanks for that tyronne , palpak na naman conversion ko

ha ha no worries i, too, had to check that site for the conversion

[Thunderflip]

So this 80,00 ha site is equivalent to 800 km²! Wow, so it will be bigger than Manila.
Can someone tell be the exact size os Clark and Subic inluding the subzones in km²?

[c0kelitr0]

i'll give this project a hundred years...with a corrupt government like ours.

[Thunderflip]

^Very true.

[bulakenyo]

I don't think GMA will prioritize this project since it's an Erap baby. heheheh!

[v3rtigo]

Originally Posted by Thunderflip

Wow, another ambitious project!
How much is 800,000 hectares in km² if I may ask? Sorry for my ignorance...

800,000 hectares = 8,000 square kilometers

[LordCarnal]

Governor eager to see entire Cebu an ecozone
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/...70627pro2.html


CEBU CITY: Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia of Cebu said on Monday that the bid to declare the entire Cebu province a special economic zone, a private-sector initiative which requires an act of Congress, “has the full backing of the people and goverment of Cebu.”

Garcia, who spoke before delegates of the recent 2nd Philippine Investment Conference at the Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort in Lapu-Lapu City, said the proposed ecozone would be “fully oriented toward the emerging supply-chain network that has been rapidly integrating East Asia and connecting the region with the best of the world.”

The Cebu-wide ecozone is a brainchild of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), which began seriously considering it in 2006 when Francis Monera was elected chamber president.

A CCCI-commissioned study on the benefits of a Cebu ecozone and how to make it autonomous from national bodies is in its final stages, said Monera.

Cebu province supported the hosting of the two-day Euromoney Conference, which brought together to the province high-profile business leaders, policymakers and corporations from all over the world to discuss opportunities for business, trade and investment.

Governor Garcia said Cebu’s public and private sector enjoyed a strong partnership, particularly in tourism and information technology.

Garcia said a “special economic zone status would give us even greater flexibility, in terms of incentives in attractive new investments on this island.”

She said it would also mean being committed to global norms and conventions and global best practices to promote trade in goods, money and ideas.

Monera recalled telling Garcia about the ecozone plan during one of his courtesy visits last year.

”She told me to go ahead with the plan because it was a good idea. She said she wants it to be private sector-led. She also said that the province will be behind us all the way,” he said.

Under the Special Economic Zone Act of 1995 (Republic Act 7918), no taxes, local and national, shall be imposed on business establishments operating within an ecozone.

In lieu of paying taxes, 5 percent of the gross income earned by all enterprises in the zone would be remitted to the national government. From this, a 1-percent share would go to the affected local government, 1 percent to the development fund and 3 percent to the national government.

Monera said a Cebu ecozone would improve the business environment and make it globally competitive.

Several areas of Cebu are already declared ecozones like the Mactan Export Processing Zone 1 and 2, part of Balamban town and the Asiatown IT Park in Cebu City.

Robert Go, regional governor of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), said an ecozone would bring jobs to the countryside.

But he noted that Cebu would have to invest heavily in infrastructure to make it viable—roads, highways, telephone lines and seaports.

”In China, they build freeways in six months. Here in the Philippines, in six years, it’s not done yet. That is something to look at,” he said.

He supported the lobby for Cebu’s ecozone status, saying it would place the island “at the center of an economic storm. Cebu will become the best place to invest in the Philippines.

[LordCarnal]

Ecozone bill lures investors with tax holidays, incentives
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb...ncentives.html


AIMED at putting in place a “wide-reaching” employment in Cebu, the economic development zone bill for the province will give investors years-long income tax holidays and 100-percent exemptions on various taxes.

Aside from tax-free operations, certain investors will also enjoy 100 percent exemptions on customs duties, and their purchase of machinery and raw materials subject to “zero” value added tax.

The authority that will be created will be tasked to draw up guidelines or criteria on who will get the incentives, but generally, most new investors registered by the zone administrators would enjoy the benefits.

Also, those who will invest outside the urban centers of highly urbanized areas in Cebu will enjoy more years of income tax holidays.

Exemption

Even the construction of buildings and land improvements by new investors will also be 100 percent exempted from taxes and duties.

The benefits will be on top of the non-fiscal incentives to be given to new businesses if the proposed Cebu Economic Development Zone (Cedz) will be approved.

“The concept and objective is to develop the Cedz into a self-sustaining industrial, commercial and investment center,” read the proposal sponsored by all eight Cebu representatives to the House of Representatives.

The bill is aimed at establishing “investment generation mechanism” and to strengthen the “trading and foreign exchange position of the country.”

An “investment priorities plan (IPP)” will be prepared by the Cebu Economic Development Zone Authority (Cedza) 120 days after the approval of the bill.

The IPP will contain the industries, services or activities with “high comparative advantage or significant competitive edge.”

If the bill is approved, Cedza will be tasked to register investors in the whole of Cebu, including its municipalities and cities.

Registered domestic enterprise in “highly developed areas” in Cebu will be entitled to a six-year income tax holiday. Those located in “less developed areas,” or those producing new products and with large “project cost, equity investments and with sizeable employment generation” will get an eight-year income tax holiday.

<10 years

Furthermore, the proposal states that the tax holidays can be up to 10 years on some conditions.

Companies that will import capital equipment, spare parts, tools and other needs of their investments will be exempted 100 percent from customs and duties.

This exemption, however, will be subject to conditions, such as the imported items are not manufactured domestically and “reasonably needed.”

Earlier, business groups have expressed support for House Bill 1319, which Cebu’s congressmen signed on the first day of session of the new Congress.

The proposal will allow companies wholly owned by foreigners to invest in Cebu, and for foreigners to work in Cebu.

The bill is aimed at empowering the business sector, who will compose majority of the zone authority who will be having a hand in decision-making for Cebu investments. (JPM)

[animasola]

I hope the Government will approve this proposal. This may decentralize Metro Cebu... it's getting too crowded.

[Ady001]

Indeed. I'm proud of this city.

[Raven83]

But being an ecozone also meant reduced revenue for the provincial government because of tax breaks being offered on ecozone facilities. Pero siyempre It still depends on Cebu's Economists to judge. Gaano ba ka-under developed yun mga secondary cities sa Cebu compare to Metro Cebu area?

[Sinjin P.]

^ But it may give the province more benefits than disadvantages though since the governor herself is fully supporting it and I trust her judgment. Regarding your question, medyo under-developed talaga yung areas outside Metro Cebu.

[animasola]

@RavenCute

Hmm… It doesn't necessarily mean lower revenues; though there are tax perks, it will draw more investors which will entail more jobs and opportunities which will help the provincial government in the long run.

[flesh_is_weak]

exactly, tax loses wont matter much now that there are more investors and more jobs to be filled...

what i love most about this though is that this would give some sort of autonomy which Cebu has been dying to have for ages

[animasola]

@pIrEnA
Well yeah... to some little extent.

We would still be obligated to feed that pig.

And to think that the congress hasn't approved this yet!

OT:

bai pIrEnA, taga sci-hi ba ka?

[dabert]

yeah.. i'm also wondering why it gets so sloooow for the congress to approve this one when most of the Cebuano political leaders are pushing for it..

OT: @animasola, taga-scihi pud na c pirena.. 1st yr ta den 3rd yr sila, i think na-larga daun tu siya sa new zealand d year after.

[Wind Shear]

Originally Posted by pIrEnA

exactly, tax loses wont matter much now that there are more investors and more jobs to be filled...

what i love most about this though is that this would give some sort of autonomy which Cebu has been dying to have for ages

I dunno how I gonna translate this to English.

Kon ganse sila sa corporate tax tungod sa Economic Zone perks, bawion sila sa witholding tax sa mga empleyado tungod kay daghan man makasulod ug trabaho.

[flesh_is_weak]

@dabert & @animasola: si @jrevalde to ang naa sa NZ, ka-batch pud nako sa sci-high