Makati city dads tell Forbes, Dasma residents: Relax, it's just aproposal

The Makati City Council yesterday downplayed the rage expressed by Forbes Park and Dasmarinas Village residents against the proposed comprehensive land use plan and rezoning ordinance.

Six councilors headed by Ricardo Javier and Oscar Ibay presented their side on the controversial proposal which they claim has been unfairly portrayed by its oppositors in media.

Ibay stressed that the rezoning is still a proposal and that none of its contents are final. He pointed out that the proposal covers the entire city of Makati and "not just McKingley Road."

"This is for the entire city of Makati and not only parts (of it). We are not discussing a zoning plan for Forbes and Dasmarinas but the whole of Makati City. This means Pembo, Tejeros, Bangkal, Combo, Guadalupe Nuevo and 28 other barangays," Ibay said.

The councilors were reacting to the opposition raised by residents of the rich subdivisions who attended the second of four public hearings being conducted by the City Council on the rezoning proposal.

Forbes Park families such as the Ayalas and Concepcion aired their strong opposition to the plan to convert McKinley Road in Fort Bonifacio from an R-1 classification to a C-1 zone.

R-1 refers to a purely residential zone consisting of single detached homes while C-1 pertains to commercial districts where high rise buildings and other establishments may be developed.

Javier explained that the drafting of the ordinance was done according to the law, particularly Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991, Executive Order 72 series of 1993 and the October 19, 1999 memorandum issued by the Office of the President.

RA 7160 provides that local government units (LGUs) continue to prepare their respective comprehensive land use plans enacted through zoning ordinance which shall be the primary basis for future use of land resources.

The memorandum of the Office of the President, directed all LGUs to finalize their respective comprehensive land use plans (CLUP) and zoning ordinances before March 31 this year.

Based on the records of the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board, 1,201 out of 1,609 cities and municipalities have already submitted their CLUPs and zoning ordinances. In Metro Manila alone, 14 out of the 17 cities and municipalities have already submitted.

The councilors noted that the 1981 zoning and land use plan can no longer serve as a guide for the future growth of the city as it was drafted based on Makati as a municipality. "Today, Makati City is no longer a local center of business and commerce but is emerging as a global center as well," Javier said.

Ibay also pointed out that the rezoning of the city would bring various benefits, particularly to the less affluent residents of Makati.

These benefits include the optimization of the use of land based on its suitability, promotion of public health and safety through compatible arrangement of various land uses and the preservation of the desirable character and real estate values of the district or zone.

Ibay said that the other affected barangays have expressed no opposition to the proposal based on the first public hearing conducted recently.

Councilor Salvador Pangilinan said that the move was welcomed by a number of barangays who view the proposal as an opportunity for them to increase the value of their properties.

Meanwhile. opposition Councilor Robert Dean Barbers criticized the council for failing to discuss the plan with the affected parties when it was still being drafted.

He also accused the council for by passing him in the discussions on the plan.

"I'm an elected councilor of the city, I haven't received any invitation or notice regarding the public hearings nor have I been given a copy of the proposed CLUP. We are asking for full transparency, most especially on the plans for the future of our dear city," Barbers said.

Javier claimed that the opposition was merely "grandstanding" and has been opposing any initiative coming from the majority block of councilors.

Two more public hearings will be conducted with the non-government organization and business groups and institutions in the coming weeks.

After the hearings, a final technical review will be held which will then move on to the second and third readings of the Council.