Barangay Ermita insists signage within its territorial bounds

The "Welcome" sign of barangay Ermita has been put up within its territory and barangay government has not encroached upon the area belonging to barangay Sto. Niño.

This was the latest contention of Ermita barangay captain Felicisimo Rupinta in response to the complaint that Sto. Niño barangay captain Wilfredo Po filed at the city council earlier.

The two signages, welcoming people to barangay Ermita, were placed near a bank at the corner of Magallanes and F. Gonzales Streets, and at the corner of M.C. Briones and F. Gonzales Streets.

Po complained to the city council that the signage, attached to galvanized pipe posts on concrete bases, are in areas that already belong to the territory of barangay Sto. Nino and thus have encroached upon the boundary.

Rupinta however countered, in his reply submitted to the city council, that Ermita never encroached upon the boundary of Sto. Niño, based on the position of the latter's boundary marker, which was erected during the time of barangay captain Jesus Rojo, over a decade ago.

"It is very clear that the places, where barangay Ermita constructed its "Welcome" signage, are deep within the areas belonging to and part of barangay Ermita's territorial jurisdiction. No violation of encroachment," Rupinta said.

Rupinta reminded barangay Sto. Niño instead that the still pending disputes over five boundaries in the city have been dealt with in a friendly way. He assailed the barangay Sto. Niño complaint at the city council was "unfriendly manipulated exhibition."

Barangay Sto. Niño argued that Ermita should base the boundary on the 1965 original map, which named 30 barangays including their respective areas.

Rupinta however invoked that these documents no longer exist either in the city council or in the city planning board.

He said that any reproduction of the original map "will only create discontentment and injustice on the part of affected party" because of possible technical mistakes as a result.

So far, the Cebu City Zoning Board had endorsed a memorandum report, dated September 2005, from the Study Committee on the Boundary Dispute between Ermita and Sto. Niño.

This report states that the boundary line between the two barangays are: From the intersection of P. Lopez and Magallanes Streets; up to its intersection with Plaridel Street, intersection with M.C. Briones Street, its intersection with F. Gonzales Street, and up to its intersection with Quezon Boulevard. - Garry B. Lao