Dagupan City officials are optimistic that the running feud between residents of Sitio Russia in Barangay Bonuan Binloc and the City government will soon be settled amicably.

This was expressed by City Legal Officer George Mejia even as Regional Trial Court Judge Genoveva Maramba scheduled an ocular inspection of the proposed new relocation site for Sitio Russia residents on September 24 at 2:00 p.m.

The new relocation site in Sitio Bagong Baryo, also in Bonuan Binloc, was proposed by the city government when residents refused to transfer to the first proposed relocation site at Gawad Kalinga-Bangusville in Bonuan Gueset.

The relocation issue has delayed the construction of the city’s P100 million Seafood Processing Plant to be funded by the Korean government’s grant following arrangement made by former House Speaker and Congressman Jose de Venecia Jr.

The city is now silent on the timetable given by the donor country for building the processing plant although representatives of the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KICA) were in the city last month to look into the status of the project.

The ocular inspection set by RTC Judge Genoveva Maramba is in connection with the civil case filed before her sala by the Sitio Russia Neighborhood Association.

Maramba deferred all the proceedings of the civil case earlier to give way to the dialogue between both parties although the city government still filed its reply to the amended complaint filed by the petitioners.

Defendants in the civil case are Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. and City Engineer Virginia Rosario, chairman of the Task Force on Housing and Urban Resettlement of Dagupan.

Fernandez, who deferred an earlier plan to hold a dialogue with sitio Russia residents due to his tight schedule, said he may join Maramba when she inspects the site.

Mejia said that since the new proposed relocation site is not owned by the city of Dagupan, he has prepared a draft usufruct agreement to be signed by the mayor and Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Jose Atienza.

The usufruct agreement, said Mejia, seeks to convey to the city government the right to use the property as relocation site for squatters of Sitio Russia.

The Community and Natural Resources Environment of Dagupan said the DENR central office has asked the Dagupan City government to submit the sketch plan of the proposed relocation site.

“I am optimistic that after the submission of the sketch plan by the city government, Secretary Atienza will sign the usufruct agreement,” Mejia said.

The usufruct agreement will guarantee full permanent occupation of the land by the beneficiaries but no title to the land will be issued.

In contrast, since Gawad Kalinga-Bangusville stands on a plot owned by the city government, residents will be issued titles.–LM

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments