Torre condo builder ‘willing to make corrections’

A representative of the company building the controversial Torre de Manila condominium in Manila told city councilors that it was “very much willing to find a solution” in the face of complaints hurled against the project.

“The Torre de Manila project has existing permits but if there are questions and issues, the team is willing to make the necessary corrections or solutions,” Maricar Encarnacion, DMCI Homes senior manager for project development, said in a council hearing Friday.

The council called for a dialogue among stakeholders following its recent passage of a resolution calling for the suspension of the building permit issued to the Torre project in 2012, under the administration of Mayor Alfredo Lim.

Questions against the 41-story Torre surfaced last year and were recently revived through an online campaign by activist-tour guide Carlos Celdran, who warned that the structure would ruin the sightline of the Rizal Monument if allowed to rise on Taft Avenue.

In Friday’s hearing, DMCI representatives disclosed that less than half of Torre’s 923 condominium units had already been sold and that the ongoing construction had so far only covered seven percent of the structure.

The councilors noted that DMCI did not attend a hearing about the project last year and that it pushed through with construction despite being under investigation for violation of Manila’s zoning ordinance.

According to the prescribed floor area ratio for buildings in Manila’s university cluster area where Torre is set to rise, the project’s area allows it to have only up to seven floors.

A councilor also asked for a list of building permits issued in the last three years after it was revealed that the zoning law was disregarded when DMCI got a permit for Torre.

“I think this is not unique to DMCI. This is only controversial because of Rizal Park, but there is clear violation of the floor area ratio limit and the law is being violated with impunity,” Councilor Marlon Lacson said.

Torre also lacked a construction safety and health program, a requirement issued by the Department of Labor and Employment, he noted.

Lacson said the city engineer could still deny an occupancy permit to Torre and prevent it from turning over units to the buyers.