ONE of the landmark establishments along Colon St. in downtown Cebu City will finally comply with the City Government’s ongoing implementation of the three-meter easement rule along the Estero de Parian.
Alex Gaisano, owner of Gaisano Main, said they will voluntarily demolish a portion of their structure that encroaches on the waterway’s banks.
Gaisano had a coordination meeting with Estero de Parian river commander Aderson Comar and Gubat sa Baha Task Force operations officer Charles Villagonzalo on Friday, May 31, 2024.
During the meeting, Gaisano announced that his company wanted to be part of Cebu City’s development.
A large portion of the Gaisano Main building has to be cleared to restore the easement along the Estero de Parian that crosses D. Jakosalem St.
However, Gaisano requested the City to give them time to gradually implement the clearing operation as it will require a lot of money.
The most affected portions of the building will be the meat section, as well as the area where the generator sets, sewage treatment plant and the cistern tank are located.
The task force together with Gaisano Main’s engineers and architect will conduct an ocular inspection of the building to achieve a “win-win solution” to the situation.
The task force also reported that Gaisano’s legal counsel Ronald Baquiano has urged businesses and commercial establishments in the area that face the same situation to comply with the easement zones.
Baquiano said the construction of the Gaisano Main in 1993 was legal since it only proceeded after securing a building permit and approval from the City Council.
The task force has been on steady track in implementing the three-meter easement zone as mandated by Presidential Decree 1067, or the Water Code of the Philippines, which prohibits the construction of permanent structures within three meters of rivers and waterways in urban areas.
On Wednesday, May 29, Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia resonated the call during his “Resulta ang Garantiya” program of the Cebu City Public Information Office.
Garcia told businesses and commercial establishments to comply with the law.
“Sakto na ang gibuhat sa Gubat sa Baha nga (What Gubat sa Baha is doing is right that) they are sending notices and they have been following it up and then maybe last resort nato kay (is) court action, then we will have to do that,” Garcia said during the program.
The task force has not spared government offices, particularly the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 7 and Commission on Audit (COA) 7 that expressed their support on Wednesday, following a coordination meeting held at the COA 7 Office.
The DPWH 7’s Equipment Management Division on Sergio Osmeña Blvd. and the COA 7 on M.J. Cuenco Ave. were issued a 72-hour notice last May 1 to voluntarily demolish their structures encroaching on the easement zone.
Also on May 1, the task force issued “certificates of compliance” to several commercial establishments along the Parian de Estero for voluntarily demolishing their encroaching structures.
These included Dimsum House, Marvies Pension House, The Freeman, St. Peter & Paul, JLS Fashion, Delfa’s Tongolan, Ho Tong Hardware, M Lhuillier Pawnshop, Hi Pace, Edna’s Eatery and Daniel Malonar Store in Barangays Parian and San Roque.
The Estero de Parian flows through Barangays Parian, San Roque, Sto. Niño and Tinago.
In the middle
In another development, the Department of Welfare for the Urban Poor, in coordination with the task force, discovered six informal settlers living in the middle of the Tagunol Creek.
Jefferson Omandam, task force river commander for the south district, recommended the urgent evacuation of these residents, emphasizing the onset of the rainy season and the perilous conditions posed by their location.
According to the report of the Cebu City Public Information Office, Omandam said this initiative is an evacuation from a high-risk area, not a relocation effort.
Their primary goal is to ensure the safety of the people from imminent hazards, he said.
The Tagunol Creek lacks an outfall, frequently causing severe flooding as the water accumulates in a distant marshland instead of flowing into the sea.
The DPWH is currently working on constructing an outfall to address this issue. The City is actively surveying households and businesses located within the three-meter easement along the creek.
The task force urged residents and business owners within the easement to comply with its mandate, especially with the rainy season approaching, to mitigate risks and protect lives. / EHP, CAV