Wanted: Another name for ‘Sacama’

MANILA, Philippines–What’s the name you would give to a joint-venture company that will supervise the development of an 80-hectare estate that is the subject of a dispute between Caloocan and Malabon cities?

Some say the best name would be “Sacama,” but sorry, it doesn’t mean “being in bed.”

It simply means “Sa Caloocan at Malabon”—or, “It’s in Caloocan and in Malabon.”’

The local governments of Caloocan and Malabon asked the public to suggest a name for the company that will oversee the development of the sprawling estate.

Caloocan Mayor Oscar Malapitan and Malabon Mayor Antolin Oreta III have signed a memorandum of understanding calling for cooperation in developing the parcel of land located beside North Luzon Expressway and overlapping Barangay (village) Potrero in Malabon and Barangays 160, 161 and 163—collectively known as Libis Baesa—in Caloocan.

Suggestions welcomed

“We still don’t have a name for the company, actually. And we’re asking the public to help us and suggest names,” Michael Camiña of the Caloocan City legal department told the Inquirer.

“Right now, we call it Sacama,” he said in jest. “That’s our joke about the company name right now. We don’t have a competition for the suggested names but any suggestion would be appreciated.”

Malapitan and Oreta have agreed that the joint-venture company will oversee the development of the area for 50 years. All profits will be split equally by the two cities.

Officials in both cities say the venture that they are championing is an alternative to a purely court-based settlement, like what is happening now among Makati City, Pateros town and Taguig City over Fort Bonifacio.

Profits will be split

Such a settlement could lead to confusion and concern among businesses and the public over who had jurisdiction over the area and what local government laws and tax rates would apply there.

“In our case, the joint venture company will be a government-owned and -controlled corporation with ownership split equally between Caloocan and Malabon,” Camiña said. “Each city will share equally in capitalization and expenses. And both of them will share equally in the profits as well.”

However, this does not mean that the dispute over who owns what will be laid to rest. The land has always been claimed by Caloocan.

The dispute started in 2001 when Republic Act No. 9019 classified Malabon as a highly urbanized city and included the tract of land as part of its territory.

Gentleman’s agreement

In 2004, residents and officials of Barangay 160 and 161, backed by the Caloocan government, filed a case in a local court disputing Malabon’s jurisdiction over the area.

The case has prevented the property from being developed.

“The two cities have agreed that the cases they have filed in court over claims they have in the area will be allowed to run its course,” Camiña said. “As a gentleman’s agreement, whatever the decision of the courts will be, we will both accept it.”

Whatever that decision will be, the memorandum of understanding signed by the two mayors mandates both governments to honor the accord until the joint-venture company’s term has lapsed.

Camiña is optimistic the joint-venture company can be launched within this year.

Bus terminals

“I think we’re about 70 percent through on the negotiations because we’ve already agreed in principle to split everything. We’re now on some specifics that we still have to discuss,” he said.

These specifics include whether Caloocan’s or Malabon’s tax rates will prevail over the area, and how the land—currently classified as residential—will be reclassified.

Once the company has been launched, it will be able to court investors, talk to private landowners about expropriating their land in favor of the company, and be the face of the property’s development.

The local governments of Caloocan and Malabon are now lobbying the national government to build its planned integrated bus terminal for buses coming from Northern Luzon on the disputed property.

Officials are banking on the bus terminal to drive the development in the area.

According to Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice, that would mean 4,000 buses loading and unloading a total of 200,000 passengers in the area per day.