The House of Representatives led by Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has urged the Philippine National Railways to waive its claims over a 1,000-square meter property in Parola, Tondo, Manila in favor of urban poor.
Convening the House Oversight Committee on Housing, Speaker Arroyo moved for the issuance of a committee resolution strongly urging the PNR Board to issue the waiver over its property in favor of the Parola residents. The House members present unanimously adopted the resolution.
She also summoned PNR chairman Roberto Lastimoso to take part in the scheduled proceeding of the Committee to explain his agency’s position on the matter.
Arroyo has called for the oversight hearing of the House Committee on Housing and Urban Development, chaired by Rep. Alfredo Benitez of Negros Occidental, to see why 15 years after she issued Proclamation 581 which reserved a parcel of land in favor of residents in Parola, titles have yet to be awarded to qualified residents through the National Housing Authority.
During the meeting, lawmakers discovered that the delay was mainly caused by the contention on some parts of Parola that are overlapping with the properties of the PNR and the Government Service Insurance System.
NHA district manager Luz Evangelista told the Committee that they were only waiting for the PNR to legitimately waive the land.
PNR lawyer Anne Rachel Miguel explained that the agency still has ongoing discussions with the Philippine Ports Authority on the issue in Parola.
This piqued Arroyo, noting that the discussions have been going on for a long time with no result. “I have heard that response before, but when is the plan coming up? That discussion has been going on for months, because every time somebody requests for something, it’s always been said that it’s being discussed,’” said Arroyo.
Rep. Manuel Luis Lopez of Manila noted that the PNR had cited the revival of the PNR system in that area, a short track in the railway, which will lead to the Manila International Container Terminal, for their continuous claim to the property despite the Proclamation.
However, he explained that the plan was not viable and practical since the shorter route was through Moriones and not through Parola.
Benitez also pointed out that a presidential proclamation and an executive order may not be superseded by any other document, including an approved plan.
Miguel assured the Committee that this will definitely be discussed on their next Board meeting in February.
On the part of the GSIS, Atty. Jennifer Jimeno-Atienza noted that the agency still needs to determine the socialized pricing of their property in Parola prior to its conveyance, which is a mandate of GSIS on property disposition for the benefit of their members.
Benitez directed the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, chair of the executive committee created under Executive Order No. 108, s. 2002, to gather the committee and finally come up with the pricing requested by GSIS.
HUDCC Director Jeanette Cruz vowed to meet with its members by the second week of February.