Korean investors are showing interest in a cable car project over the Iloilo Strait linking Iloilo City and the island province of Guimaras.
City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog here said that Korean big business based in Seoul, South Korea had started inquiring about the viability of a cable car project over the strait of about 1.7nautical miles from the city as possible investment area in the near future.
The cable cars are numerous in South Korea as easy and immediate means of transportation of the people in far-flung and high altitude areas. It is also a major means of transportation for tourists who wanted to see the natural attractions in the country.
Mabilog was in South Korea early last week accompanied by city councilor Plaridel Nava in a business trip sponsored by CITYNET. Iloilo City is a permanent member of CITYNETAsia.
On the other hand, Mabilog was invited to see the waste to energy project in Korea by turning garbage into pellets as fuel of turbines to produce energy.
The city mayor said the project is feasible in Iloilo City under a public private partnership (PPP) which would turn garbage in the city dumpsite in Calajunan, Mandurriao to produce energy of at least 8 megawatts.
The city is generating some 170 metric tons of garbage everyday and these were dumped in Calajunan. Mabilog said the project would lengthen the lifespan of the sanitary landfill in Calajunan and at the same time, produce electric energy to augment the power needs of the city.
Two private corporations have already submitted its proposal for the waste to energy project by using the garbage of the city. The project site is a one hectare area within the Calajunan dumpsite allowed for use by the city government.
A technical working group was created early this year to evaluate the project proposals of German corporation Senova and Dream Eng of Korea. Mabilog said the project is expected to start early next year. By Lydia C. Pendon
