P2B cable car project in Tagaytay or Benguet

DEXTER A. SEE

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — Owners of Shoemart (SM) are planning to build a P2-billion cable car system either in Tagaytay City or in this vegetable-producing province.

This was reported by Gerry Lab-oyan, general manager of the Benguet Cooperative Bank.
Lab-oyan said Sammie Lim, president of the Philippine chamber of Commerce and Industry disclosed SM patriarch Henry Sy’s plan for a cable car system to members of the newly organized Benguet Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

However, the factor that will determine the place where to build the state-of-the-art cable car system would depend on investment climate of whether Benguet or Tagaytay has the better investment climate.

Businessmen here said one negative factor against Benguet is that it has no attractive investment code.

Officials of the Board of Investments recommended immediate creation of a provincial investment promotion coordinating and advisory council which could be the body tasked to draft an investment code for Benguet.

Business groups here have urged the provincial government to come up with measures that could attract investments to Benguet and improve land transportation.

At present, the national and provincial governments are giving priority attention to improvement of road networks in the province, particularly the Halsema Highway, the Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya Road, and the Acop-Kapangan-Kibungan Road.

These vital roads need immediate rehabilitation.

The cable car system had been previously identified as one of the Cordillera alternative transport mode as envisioned by the Regional Development council in the Cordillera.

Recently, the Department of Tourism announced its plan to build a P50million cable car system in Banaue, Ifugao, site of the world-famous rice terraces.

It could be a facility that could attract foreign and domestic tourists to visit the world-heritage site.
Lab-oyan said operation of the P2-billion cable car system in the province could y perk up economic activities in far-flung communities and could lead to the discovery of potential tourist spots such as the Palina Rice Terraces and rock mountains of Tacadang, Kibungan including the historic Mount Kabunian in nearby Bakun town.