Subdivision opens gates to landlocked sitio residents in Brgy San Jose

Personnel of the Cebu City Division on the Welfare of the Urban Poor assist the reopening of a subdivision gate to allow sitio residents landlocked behind the gates passage to the subdivision for at least six months. | Photo Courtesy of DWUP

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The subdivision homeowners of Villa San Jose in Barangay San Jose, Cebu City has agreed to open their roads to the landlocked residents of Purok 2 after negotiating with the city government.

In a statement, the Cebu City Division for the Urban Poor (DWUP) said the homeowners opened the gates to the sitio residents around 5 p.m. on February 12, 2021.

The homeowners agreed to allow the sitio residents six months to build an access road for them before they would close the fence.

Read: Cebu City purok’s plea to subdivision’s owners: Give us time to build road

The residents has protested outside the subdivision on Friday morning prompting the barangay officials and the city government to intervene in what should have been a residential dispute.

“Atong pasalamatan ang Barangay Captain Jo Ardaba, Barangay Council ug ang Villa San Jose Homeowners Association ug ang Developer Mark Cusi ug mga igsoon uban sad sa mga ahensya sa syudad sa Sugbo sa hapsay ug malinawon nga negosasyon sa pag abli ug balik sa back gate sa maong subdivision,” said DWUP in a statement.

(We thank Barangay Captain Jo Ardaba, the barangay council, Villa San Jose Homeowners Association, Developer Mark Cusi and our fellow brothers of the agencies of the Cebu City government for the peaceful negotiation on opening the back gate of the subdivision.)

Look: Residents of Purok 2, Barangay San Jose, Cebu City appeals to subdivision owners

Councilor Jerry Guardo, City Council’s chairperson for the committee on infrastructure, said that they would be working on the access road starting Monday, February 15, 2021.

The primary road to be built will be a 1.5 meter width road that can serve as a start for the 3-meter width road. The city government will clear out any obstruction so at least people can pass this road.

Guardo said that they would start working with the Right of Way (ROW) acquisition so that it would be completed within the six months extension given by the subdivision.

“The plan of the city is to have a 3 meters road right of way — but the additional 1.5 meter  wide road right of way — need pa ni i-expropriate (needed to be expropriated) — and this would take time — so we’re asking for six months consideration. There is an existing 1.5 meter already donated by the developer as their access road — duna lang light structure ning encroach (it, however, has a light structure encroaching on it) that need to be cleared by Probe and engineering department,” said Guardo.

The councilor assured the sitio residents tha the road would be completed in time so all their vehicles may be able to pass through the access road soon. /dbs