Malapascua Development Plan

• Circumferential Road

THE FIRST STEP IS DONE

As you know is since a long time a circumferential road along the beach and shore around the island planned.. The first step was to mark the so called “Salvage Zone”. In the Philippine Law it is anchored that 40 meters of the coast belongs to the state. But in the past time nobody cared about that and lot of people build their house direct on the beach inside this zone. Also some beach resort owners build their guesthouses and restaurants on the beach and the beaches filled up with buildings.

The first step for planning the circumferential road was to set markers on the beach. The Governeur accepted that ONLY 20 meters salvage zone to be marked and all buildings in this zone has to be moved to make the beach free of anykind of buildings. House owners who will not move their houses must accept that a “demolishing team” from the municipio will demolish their houses.

So demolishing of those buildings started know  and the municipio began (Monday 4.June 2007) with the first step of building the circumferential road, 20 meters away from the “high water line”. The work will be done step by stepon all those places where beach space is freed and the 20 meter salvage zone is installed.

The first step building the Circumferential Road is done TODAY. Here is the evidence, look at the fotos i made on this important day.

Building the road started on the southern part of Malapascua, in front of “Blue Corals Beach Resort”, going counterclockwise to the north, around the island.

Mike Wieland, 4.June 2007

• Island HOSPITAL

The Bad News

Everybody knows that there is no Hospital on Malapascua. There is even no Doctor on the island. So if one gets sick or if one happens to be hurt in an accident there is also no Casualty Department available. The next Hospital is in the Barangay of Daan Bantayan. So if it happens to someone that he needs suddenly very urgent medical help and a doctor, he has got a big problem.

However it comes, still a larger problem is given if this happens during the night or during one of the common Taifuns, because then it is almost impossibly to get a boat to transfer one to Maya. At night time no boat or ship does passenger transfer from Malapascua to Maya. In this case you have to face your fate and all one can do is just hope and pray for a miracle.

During daytime in normal weather conditions however the chances are somewhat better; one must organize a boat - which is during “Low Water” also a problem- to cross the sea heading to Maya. In Maya however are no taxis (only Habal-Habals) and also no physician. One must request thus by calling with a cellphone a passenger car from Daan Bantayan to be transferred to the hospital in Daan Bantayan.

If it is one of your lucky days they can help you , if not, misfortunately  your travel goes further to CEBU-City. It could happen –even if it is an emergency case and everything is really good running-  that time takes more than 5 hours to reach a hospital and medical assistance.

The Good News

The good news are: the municipio and the Governeur realized that problem. Part of the “Malapascua Development Plan” is to build a hospital on Malapascua! It is intended to be a 3-bed hospital with a 24 hour doctors and medical staff presence.

The lot for the hospital is existing and soon they will start building.

We have an eye on it and tell you what and when it happens.

 Mike Wieland, 20.June 2007

• 24-hour Electricity

will be continued............