[ Published by : Businessworld Online ] Vol. XXI, No. 129
Thursday, January 31, 2008 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES
DAVAO CITY — The city council has shelved applications filed by property firms Robinsons Homes, Inc. and Filinvest Land, Inc. for upgrades of their housing projects in this city from low-density to medium-density.
The projects are located in Talomo district, which hosts water wells supplying drinking water to this city’s residents.
On Tuesday, Councilor Arnolfo Cabling, committee on housing chairman, withdrew the resolution allowing Robinsons’ Costa Verde Subdivision in Barangay Bago Gallera, Talomo district to reclassify its 15-hectare project into a medium-density residential zone. A reclassification would have allowed the subdivision to build more housing units and achieve economies of scale. A low-density residential zone only permits 20 housing units while a medium-density zone allows as many as 65 units.
Last week, the application of Filinvest Land, Inc. for an upgrade to medium-density housing project was also rejected by a majority vote.
Filinvest wanted a 24-hectare property in Dumoy, Talomo district reclassified.
Earlier, Vice-Mayor Sara Duterte expressed reservations on the conversion of "low-density residential zones" to "medium-density residential zones."
Ms. Duterte, who serves as acting mayor while her father, Rodrigo, is on leave of absence, said housing developers intending to expand in protected areas might have to wait for her father to come back because she wouldn’t allow it to happen under her watch.
After a quick executive session on Tuesday, the councilors agreed to throw their support behind Ms. Duterte. The position was also backed by Mayor Duterte, who said that the city government has to take action to protect its natural resources.
Salvador Valbuena, president of the Subdivision and Housing Developers Association, declined to comment on the issue but said he was meeting with the organization’s members to come up with a unified position.
A study by Carmelita P. Martinez and Edmundo B. Prantilla, assistant professors of the state-run University of Southeastern Philippines, described Dumoy as one of the five major aquifers in the Talomo and Lipadas watersheds.
"Presently, the health of the aquifer is endangered because of over-extraction and the degradation of the environment in the uplands of the [watersheds]. There is a need to legislate a sound policy in order to protect the quality and quantity of the groundwater in the Dumoy aquifer," the study, presented on the 10th National Convention on Statistics in October 2007, stated.
Mr. Cabling said that another application for reclassification by Filinvest also in Dumoy would have to be suspended while the technical group, comprising the City Engineer’s Office, the City Planning and Development Office, and City Health Office, reviews the requirements for approving housing developments in protected areas.
"Whether we like it or not, development will come," Mr. Cabling said. "[Robinsons’ and Filinvest] are responsible developers, they are here to help protect and not contaminate the protected zones," he added. — Joel B. Escovilla
[ Published by : Businessworld Online ]
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