The 4th Public Consultation for the Formulation of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) and Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) for the Municipality of Bacong, Negros Oriental was held from July 4 to 8 at the Bacong Municipal Hall. The event was conducted in collaboration between the Municipality of Bacong and the Palafox Team. The public consultation’s main purpose was to conduct workshops with stakeholders concerning the Municipality's Programs, Projects, and Activities (PPAs); the implementation of Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation (DRR-CCA); and enhancing plans for the Municipality’s development. These activities are crucial in forming the Municipality’s CLUP and CDP.

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Throughout the five days of the public consultation, the following activities were conducted:

1) Prioritization of PPAs for the CDP that was attended by the Municipal Technical Working Group (TWG) who participated in the Urgency Test Matrix workshop and Goal Achievement Matrix (GAM) workshop.

2) DRR-CCA-related workshops for the CLUP that were attended by Barangay DRR representatives who participated in the hazard characterization workshop, review of records of disasters, climate change impact chain workshop, and sensitivity and adaptive capacity workshop.

3) Zoning workshop for the Zoning Ordinance (ZO) that was attended by Barangay Captains who participated in the zoning classifications and regulations workshop.

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As a result of these workshops, several of the Municipality’s highly prioritized projects were identified, such as the following: 1) pursue a SMART Bacong through the digitalization of municipal systems and processes; 2) establish a wastewater treatment facility; 3) expand the waterworks system in anticipation of an increase in population; and 4) establish additional health centers. 

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In line with the DRR-CCA-related strategies and projects, the Municipality will work on slope protection projects, construct seawall barriers, and implement a municipal-wide local early warning system (EWS). The Project’s next steps include drafting the Municipality’s CLUP and CDP and conducting succeeding public consultations within the year. These plans will then be submitted to the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and the Provincial Land Use Committee (PLUC). We at Palafox Associates and Palafox Architecture Group, Inc. are grateful for the opportunity to assist the Municipality of Bacong in achieving their resiliency and sustainable development goals.

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