Filinvest offers to pay P1M in taxes to fix Pooc road
FILINVEST Land Inc. is offering to pay the Talisay City government P1.1 million as advance taxes to be used to pave a road leading to the firm’s Escala Subdivision project.
“We are willing to provide the funds for the road. And we hope to finish the construction of the access road before year-end,” said Filinvest in its letter to Talisay City Mayor Socrates Fernandez, Vice Mayor Allan Bucao and Pooc barangay captain Doroteo Emit.
The offer came after the Talisay City Planning office issued a “cease-and- desist” order on Sept. 22 against the Filinvest project.
Engineer Willie Ramos, Talisay project evaluation officer, said there were two violations: construction without a permit, and construction without a zoning clearance.
He said Filinvest had a development permit to develop the land, but didn’t have a housing permit that would allow it to construct any dwellings on the property.
Ramos said Filinvest would also have to address three violations at the barangay level before complying with planning office requirements.
He said Filinvest failed to provide a road right of way for sitio Maharlika, which is adjacent to Corona del Mar subdivision which as 35 houses, failed to provided 20 percent space for socialized houses for the urban poor, and failed to get a housing permit.
Meanwhile, Filinvest sent a request to barangay captain Doroteo Emit and his councilors to issue a barangay resolution asking the city government to approve the Escala Subdivision project.
But Emit said he wanted an affidavit of undertaking from Filinvest first and not a promissory note.
He, however, said that the P1,116,787 advance tax payment, which would cover the City Engineer’s budget for the access road was a good gesture.
He said he wanted Filinvest to also shoulder the social obligation of their development.
“Kung wala naabot ang development diha, dili mahasul ang sitio Maharlika. Social obligation is tangible. Where is your social obligation?” he asked.
He said the Pooc barangay planned to revoke the barangay clearance for the Escala Subdivision projects because of Filinvest’s three violations in road right of way, socialized housing and a housing permit.
Emit also said paving the 800 meter access road wasn’t enough.
He said that barangay councilors agreed to defer the resolution to revoke the barangay clearance until the affidavit of undertaking is submitted.
“We will give Filinvest a chance. They need to finance this,” Emit said.
Emit said the barangay officials would only issue a deed of donation for the opening of the access road in sitio Maharlika and request Talisay City for the expropriation of the lot after Filinvest issues the affidavit of undertaling.
“We will not issue an endorsement unless you issue an affidavit,” he said.
Engineer Archie Igot of Filinvest assured the affidavit would be prepared next week.
Igot, however, said he couldn’t provide details of the kind of assistance the firm would provide since this would need management approval.
Barangay officials, however, agreed to let Filinvest use a temporary lot in sitio Tambis as an alternative access road to Escala Subdivision to appease residents of Corona del Mar subdivision who complained of the dust and disturbance.
