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THREE-TOWER condominium project of Federal Land Corp. in
Quezon City has run smack into a wall of opposition from
residents and homeowner associations denouncing the
alleged disregard for their concerns.
The
residents from barangay New Manila, Kalusugan, Le
Mariche and Damayang Lagi are protesting the planned
construction of three condominium towers (two rising 41
stories and the other 36 stories) along E. Rodriguez
Avenue in QC , claiming they run counter to existing
development and zoning regulations.
The
issue for them boils down to development with
responsibility, meaning, any property development in the
area should take into consideration the social and
environmental impact of a project of such magnitude.
Deviations, ranging from the application for ECC
(environmental compliance certificate) to the preselling
of units prior to approval of the project, have
allegedly been noted in the said project.
Complainants claim there are patent violations of the
National Building Code and the QC Zoning Ordinances.
Besides this, they question the premises put forth by
Federal Land for the development, dubbed Capital Towers
Project, which made presumptions that the physical
conditions this year are the same as next year and in
2009 when the third tower is put up.
They say
the profit motive should be tempered with the need for a
responsible corporate citizenship, and they ticked off
“wrong assumptions and twisting of data” on traffic,
sewage and flooding, among other concerns.
“We
reiterate that any monetary gain that will result from
the project should be weighed against the significant
and long-term adverse effect that the construction of
the project will have on the neighboring communities,”
the opposers said.
But what
the critics resent most is the move of the company to
presell the condominium units while the concerns, such
as water supply, have not been fully addressed.
For
instance, the project, with 1,300 units assumes 154
cubic meters daily use, whereas
Montgomery Place
which has only 341 units consumes 320 cubic meters. They
now ask: were the data on water, sewage and flooding
twisted to suit their profit goals?
Loren’s
magic
It would
seem that there is no stopping the magic of former
senator Loren Legarda. Coming out of the Manaoag church,
a favorite pilgrimage site in Pangasinan, one cannot
miss a colored campaign poster on a residence presumably
put up by a die-hard fan. Having championed women’s
causes, Legarda’s poster is more than adequate to
compensate for the lack of the opposition slate’s
senatorial team in a common poster area located just
before the church itself.
Having
topped the senatorial elections before, Legarda is again
on the way to topping the senatorial slate anew based on
surveys after surveys of voters’ preference. It is
possible that Legarda, who is ubiquitous in many places
wooing votes, touched the life of the resident who
proudly displayed the poster, unmindful of the seeming
incongruity of such affection.
But then
again, having espoused many women’s and children’s
causes, the senatorial bet could have touched a
sensitive chord in vote-rich Pangasinan where the
looming local political battles would be enough to
provide the kind of excitement in politics that is
almost a religion in the province.
Why even
the candidacy of Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. and the
challenge posed by Dagupan City Mayor Benjie Lim is a
talk of the province as well as that of the daughter of
noted socialite and philanthropist Rosemary “Baby”
Arenas who is seeking a congressional seat. We
understand, though, that even with the rivalries, the
top senatorial bet remains Ms. Legarda.
In a
way, voters could have identified with Ms. Legarda in
many ways as she anchored newscasts, and interviewed the
high and the mighty and the poor and the downtrodden.
Why even journalists identify with her because of her
late grandfather, Joe Bautista, who is a legend in the
news desk. No wonder, she is tops.
E-mail: hugagni@yahoo.com |
