ZAMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga Sibugay—Urban development planner Felino Palafox Jr. said he sees in this city what he saw in Dubai less than 40 years ago.
Palafox, who recently visited Zamboanga, was involved in the 1977 urban development planning of Dubai, now known as the global city of the United Arab Emirates.
He presented to Zamboanga City Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar and other top local officials his proposed development plan for Zamboanga which boasts of mushrooming giant business establishments in its commercial center and suburban areas.
“I see a lot of development potentials for Zamboanga, from its topography to flora and fauna and natural resources that are best for eco-tourism, agri-tourism and even cultural heritage tourism,” said Palafox who first came to Zamboanga when he was 20.
He claimed that given all its potentials and at the rate the city is booming, Zamboanga could be the country’s version of Dubai if his short-term planning proposals were to be considered by local executives.
“Like Dubai, Zamboanga is port-driven city, but unlike Dubai, Zamboanga is blessed with natural resources that Dubai did not have some three decades ago,” Palafox said.
Dubai has fabricated natural resources, but in Zamboanga, “everything is available, pristine and untapped for development.”
Palafox noted that Zamboanga could rightfully claim its new moniker as the only “Latin City in Far East” owing to its one million population’s use of Chavacano, a local version of the Spanish language.