Rushing the proposed CLUP and Zoning Ordinance?

This article was written yesterday, June 18, same day, same time as the second reading schedule of the proposed Zoning Ordinance (ZO) for Cebu City.

A week ago, the Carbon Market vendors and their CSO partners rejoiced when the deferment of the Zoning Ordinance was proposed and approved.

Answered prayer, everyone thought.

That will give all stakeholders who will be affected by the proposed ZO and the CLUP (comprehensive land use plan) time to collectively review, deliberate, and, decide on these two proposals.

All stakeholders, including the protesters, are all agreed about the importance of having ZO and CLUP for Cebu City.

All are also appreciative of the generous time and diligent effort of the CCPDO and other teams in producing the 4-volume CLUP and the 150-page ZO.

Questions, however, have been raised about the PROCESS, specifically, the lack of widespread public information and consultation during the completion, finalization of these proposed drafts.

As the ZO, CLUP will impact on constituents, communities and the whole city, shouldn’t extensive consultations of multisectoral stakeholders have been done before these 2 measures were presented for Cebu City Council deliberation/approval?

CCPDO officials said they held many fora with those from “CCCI, MCCI, Italian Chamber, Philres, Creba, Philippine Institute of Environment Planners, Local Planners National Convention, Geodetic Engineers’National Convention” and consulted barangays (officials?).

What about the CSOs, especially those who wrote the CCPDO in 2023 about their 12-point issues related to the CLUP?

What about the Carbon Market vendors and other stakeholders not invited to any prior consultation before the last Public Hearing last week?

The Carbon Market vendors were surprised to receive a call about 2 p.m last Monday afternoon asking them to attend a 9 a.m. meeting Tuesday, the topic - ZO presentation/ discussion.

The program for that Tuesday morning meeting indicated that it was a “Stakeholders’ Meeting” but again, there were limited attendees among multiple stakeholders and no CSOs especially from the 2023 groups.

It was also a big surprise to see photos of Mayor-Elect Nestor Archival in that “stakeholders’ meeting.”

The Carbon Market vendors were just as surprised since together with VM-elect Tomas Osme?a, last week, after the City Hall Public Hearing, Sir Nestor assured them about their support for Carbon Market as a heritage, not a commercial zone, as proposed by the CLUP and ZO.

The request of the protesting groups is for a deferment/moratorium to allow for more widespread, genuine, inclusive review, deliberation and decision-making related to the CLUP, ZO proposals.

Despite these ongoing requests for moratorium, will the ZO (and CLUP?) have been approved anyway after the Second Reading by the majority party yesterday, June 18?

According to former CC Councilor Alvin Dizon, “during his later term in the Council from 2019-2022 (unless House Rules have been amended), the Second Reading allows the Committee on Laws to render its opinion on the proposed ordinance and councilors are allowed to discuss, debate, and propose amendments to the draft. Once the debate and amendments are concluded, the ordinance is put to vote. If it passes, it proceeds to the Third, Final Reading. Assuming that the current Council approves the ordinance, Mayor Raymond Garcia signs it before his term ends on June 30.”

Why the rush to approve two important measures when stakeholders are requesting for a deferment, a moratorium?

Officials have been told that Cebu City will benefit if the CLUP especially is passed since there will be more investments, businesses, foreign loans/grants with the approval.

Are these more important than ascertaining more seriously how the 2 proposed measures will impact Cebu City’s constituents and communities?

Why the rush?

Don’t crucial legislative items like the CLUP and ZO deserve broad, multisectoral, genuine consultation and support?

Can’t the Cebu City Council, including Mayor-elect Archival, allow the requested moratorium?