City has land use plan

CEBU, Philippines - After admitting that their office failed to finish the 2012 comprehensive land use plan (clup), city planning and development chief Engr. Alipio Bacalso said he just recently learned that the city actually has one.

“I just learned now. When I assumed office in 2011, no one told me. So we proceeded with creating a new one. The personnel who knew about it was transferred to another office,” Bacalso told The FREEMAN.

He was referring to the CLUP that was approved in 2006, a matter confirmed by former city councilor Atty. Jocelyn Pesquera.

“Yes, it was approved in 2006 by the city development council and city council,” Pesquera said, adding “it is valid even 10 years or 20 years unless the city will approve a new one.”

Consultants started working on the plan in 2001. But it took almost six years to harmonize the concerns of all sectors especially the allowable uses in the mountain barangays, she added.

“What is needed now is the amendment of the zoning ordinance in order to jive with the approved CLUP. The proposed amendment was submitted to the office of Noel Wenceslao last year,” Pesquera continued.

The changes in the boundaries of districts specifically on zoning the areas as industrial or otherwise need to be updated as the ordinance marked three areas as industrial while CLUP only has one, she added.

Moreover, the city planning and development chief also wondered why the Legislative Award organizers, specifically the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), noted this year the absence of CLUP, making Cebu city lose to first time finalist Zamboanga city. (FREEMAN)