CEBU CITY—South Road Properties (SRP) governing board is gearing up to transform the 300-hectare reclaimed area along Cebu City’s southern coast as the next premier investment hub.
Cebu City councilor and Chair of the SRP governing board Rey Gealon said the project aims to unlock the area’s full potential, highlighting the importance of partnerships between small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and large corporations to drive economic growth.
In a dialog with the business sector on October 2 at the Cebu City Hall, Gealon said this endeavor follows acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia’s vision to address the concerns of all stakeholders that have invested in the SRP and to ensure they can sustain and expand their operations.
One of the major goals of the SRP initiative is inclusivity, particularly in ensuring that SMEs can engage and thrive alongside larger companies. “SRP is not just for big businesses; we need suppliers and we need employment,” Gealon explained.
The SRP governing board is actively working to streamline business operations in the city through an ordinance passed by the Cebu City Council that also made SRP a special administrative zone, freeing it from the traditional bureaucratic processes in local government.
“Permits and licenses—building permits, business permits, renovation permits—are to be issued by the SRP Governing Board, creating a one-stop-shop system to create a business-friendly environment that encourages growth and investment,” Gealon said.
The SRP is envisioned to be a city within a city, where businesses can operate efficiently without the usual administrative hurdles, Gealon shared that the ease of securing permits and licenses make the SRP more accessible and attractive to investors, enhancing its competitiveness as an economic zone.
The initiative secured the backing of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry in promoting investments at the SRP with emphasis on the importance of collaboration and aligning with the vision set by the city’s leadership.
The SRP, also known as the South Reclamation Project, is a 300-hectare reclamation area in Cebu City. It was reclaimed from Mactan Channel and located off the coast of the southern district of Cebu City, near barangays Mambaling, Inayawan, and Pasil.
