LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Mayor Romeo Salda ordered the contractor of a controversial housing project in this town to cease and desist from pursuing the implementation of the project because of reported serious violations on the conditions of the development permit issued for the project.
In a 2-page order, the local chief executive claimed that CDJ Group Construction and Development Corporation by Conrado Dieza, Jr. and all persons acting in his behalf must further institute mitigating measures in the project site of the Cordillera Homes-St. Francis subdivision to prevent excavated earth rock or soil from flowing down streams and from flooding the low-lying communities located below the housing project.
Salda also ordered the personnel of the municipal planning and development office and the La Trinidad Municipal Police Station to serve the same to the contractor at its project site and at its main office for its strict compliance and that the said offices were mandated to closely monitor the compliance of the contractor to the cease and desist order.
Salda revealed that personnel of the municipal planning and development office conducted monitoring activities on the project site of Cordillera Homes-St. Francis subdivision at Kesbeng, Poblacion and noted violations of the contractor on the conditions of the development permit issued by the local government for the housing project.
Among the documented violations of the contractor included the fact that it failed to institute mitigating measures of the effects of its earth-moving activities aggravated by the fact that it has no approved alteration plan; the gabion controlling siltation at the project site which serve as a catch dam for excavated earth, rock and soil was full such that excavated earth , rock or soil may flow downstream and flood the low-lying villages below causing eminent danger to life and property should there be a strong downpour or a typhoon; there is no functioning drainage system which may cause of flashfloods in the case of a strong downpour and there are no building permits for the several houses or buildings being constructed at the project site.
Earlier, the Cordillera Homes-St. Francis subdivision was given a development permit dated March 2015 and that the same was only for land development for the development of a certain parcel of land located at Kesbeng, Poblacion.
In a letter dated July 30, 2018, CDJ Group Construction and Development Corporation executive vice president for sales Jose Marie Ortega informed Mayor Salda that the operations, administration, management and development was taken over by the corporation as developer and contractor of the controversial housing project.
CDJ admitted in its letter that the certificate of registration issued by the Housing Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) to Cordillera Home-St. Francis Community was revoked on December 11, 2017.
After being informed of the facts, the municipal council adopted Resolution No. 196, series of 2018 dated September 4, 2018 that requested Mayor Salda to issue a cease and desist order to the CDJ Group Construction and Development Corporation prohibiting the further introduction of further improvement within the Cordillera Homse-St. Francis Community Association Inc. pending the resolution of issues relative to its issued development permit.
By HENT
