Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Friday lifted the cease-and-desist order against the above-ground construction of Metro Rail Transit 7 Quezon Memorial Circle station after ironing out issues with the project proponents and various stakeholders.
On Friday, Belmonte announced the decision after a meeting with representatives from the contractor EEI Corp. developer San Miguel Corp., Department of Transportation, the Avenceña-Quezon family, National Housing Authority, environmentalist groups, urban planners, heritage advocates and park goers as well.
During the meeting, EEI and SMC showed a revised design wherein the area of the above-ground construction was dramatically reduced to 426 square meters from almost 11,000 square meters and the height to just six meters from 12 meters, she said in a statement.
The above-ground structure is proposed to be only a utility room, the city government said.
“We thank EEI and SMC for taking into consideration the concerns of the people of Quezon City, who consider the park and the pylon the most important landmarks of the city, by taking steps to adjust the design and reduce the height of the station thereby preserving the park’s integrity. This is truly a win-win solution," Belmonte said.
“I would also like to express gratitude to the stakeholders for their active participation in preserving the park,” she added.
She gave the public the assurance that there would be no more obstruction to the famous pylon at the Quezon Memorial Circle that serves as the city's symbol for several decades.
"The pylon's view will stay as it is. There will be no obstructions to the shrine of the late President Manuel Luis Quezon. Apart from that, there will be a wide open space for the people of the city since there be no more mall [construction in the area]," she said.
Last Feb. 18, Belmonte issued a CDO stopping the above-ground construction on the basis that the design of the station approved by the previous administration had been changed considerably without consulting the local government.
Upon review, it was discovered that the project exceeded the agreed area by almost six times.
