Caloocan, Malabon settle land row

MANILA, Philippines - The city governments of Caloocan and Malabon signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) yesterday to develop 80 hectares of land that had been the bone of contention between the two cities since 2001.

Following the law that converted Malabon into a city in 2001, the two cities took to court the issue of which city government has jurisdiction over the property, which straddles the boundaries of Caloocan’s Barangay Libis Baesa and Malabon’s Barangay Potrero.

“We have decided to settle this by engaging in a joint venture to develop, manage and operate the disputed property for 50 years and would include the establishment of an integrated bus terminal, economic and industrial zones, business and financial centers, and schools and development centers for the benefit of its residents and nearby areas,” Caloocan Mayor Oscar Malapitan said. 

Malabon Mayor Antolin Oreta III, on the other hand, said that instead of waiting for the decision of the court, he and Malapitan decided to “sit down and agree to develop the property that would be beneficial to both residents of Caloocan and Malabon.” 

Crisis into opportunity

The land dispute came about when the two barangays, formerly belonging to Caloocan, were declared part of the territory of Malabon under Republic Act 9019, which converted Malabon into a highly urbanized city. 

“It is about time that we have completely transformed this crisis into an opportunity. We can now offer to the national government and the private sector a potential business district in the northern part of Metro Manila, wherein the people of Caloocan and Malabon can have better opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship,” Malapitan said. 

Oreta said that talks are ongoing with “major players” who have shown interest in the project. 

According to the two officials, all major concerns like taxes, biddings, and business development schemes will be ironed out by a technical working group composed of representatives from both sides and will come out with a feasibility study before the project is finalized.

An insider told The STAR that a “big name in the mall business had already signified his interest to invest, which, if it push through, will make the property a major business center.”