BY BOY RYAN B. ZABALThe Aklan Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) has set aside the urgent request of Governor Florencio Miraflores for an authorization to enter into a memorandum of agreement with Jollibee Foods Corporation.
SP member Jose Enrique Miraflores, who presided the regular session on Wednesday, said the governor told him last Monday that
the plan to build a new Jollibee branch for a long-term lease agreement was shelved.
The company intends to put up a food outlet, more or less 350 square meter area inside the existing Carticlan jetty port and terminal in Malay, Aklan.
The provincial government will consider locators and commercial establishments to have their businesses in the reclaimed portion of Caticlan port in the future.
Huge developments in the reclamation project, which is located adjacent of the old Caticlan port facing Boracay Island, would be completed to accommodate more passengers.
Last week, the proposal of Jollibee was referred to the three standing committees of Aklan SP after the representatives of the food chain operator and Caticlan port administrator Niven Maquirang shed light on the construction, operations and lease agreement of Jollibee with the provincial government of Aklan.
During the interaction, Aklan Vice Governor Gabrielle Calizo Quimpo and some SP members were apprehensive of the impact of Jollibee outlet in the comfort of roll-on roll-off passengers, visitors and tourists for Boracay Island. The environmental issues on waste disposal management of the food outlet were also discussed by Aklan SP members.
The Caticlan port is the main gateway to the famed Boracay and a strategic link of nautical highway for passengers to Mindoro, Romblon and Batangas.
Tourist arrivals in Boracay last year reached 1.3 million, the tourism department said.
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