LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Mayor Romeo K. Salda declared that the local government will not Lift the Cease Order (CDO) it issued against the new developer of a housing project in the locality because of numerous unresolved issues that continue to hound the environmentally-critical development project that poses a serious threat to the safety of prospective homeowners and the people living around the project site.
The local chief executive claimed the project remains to be under the name of St. Francis-Cordillera Homes but which was supposed to have been taken over by CDG Construction and Development Corporation, and this has generated numerous controversies traceable to the previous administration of the locality.
However, Salda disclosed the new developer could proceed with the implementation of the prescribed mitigating measures in the construction area and its environs because it is one of the major requirements that should have to be complied with before the assessment and evaluation to be done to ascertain whether or not the new developer deserves to be issued the permit to proceed with the project.
“We do not want to sacrifice the greater interest of the people living in the vicinity of the housing project in Kesbeng who are openly exposed to the dangers posed by the wayward excavation done by the previous developer resulting to landslides and soil erosions in the project site, among other safety issues that cropped up to date,” Mayor Salda stressed.
He emphasized the new developer has numerous issues to resolve on the documentary side to show proof he is the legitimate developer of the housing project because what appears is that it is still the old developer that possesses the authority over the project since it is still the declared developer of the project based on available documents.
Further, he noted the new developer does not have the license from the Housing Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) to sell the housing units in the project and this also must be looked into if he is really interested to takeover and pursue the project amidst the remaining controversies that has been confronting the old developer.
Salda asserted the new developer is still obligated to implement all mitigating measures previously recommended by the concerned government agencies and the local government to effectively and efficiently address the threats the project poses to the safety of the people living in the areas surrounding the said project.
While it is true the new developer took over the continuation of the controversial housing project, he explained the same was not able to perfect the documents to show his authority to transact business with concerned government agencies and the local government regarding the completion of the project and the compliance of the project to existing standards on the preservation and protection of the state of the environment in the area.
By HENT
