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36 families to lose right of way in Princedale enclosure

By Maricar M. Calubiran

Some 36 families near Princedale Subdivision in Yulo, Arevalo are in danger of losing their way out as the management of Princedale Subdivision in Yulo, Arevalo finally decided to enclose their property come Thursday (October 27).

Part of the subdivision is used by said families as their passage area going to the main road.

This was stressed out yesterday by Garry Jaicten, general manager of the Princedale Subdivision during a dialog with the subdivision management, affected families and Iloilo City Police Office Director Sr. Supt. Norlito Bautista.

The dialog was called by Atty. Milagros Hechanova of the City Legal Office after the affected families sought the intercession of the city government regarding their problem.

The affected families was represented by Lourdes David.

Prior to the subdivision management's decision to enclose the property, the affected families and Princedale signed an agreement giving the former only until August 6, 2005 to use part of the subdivision as passage way.

Jaicten said, the Princedale management has already given relocation and assistance to ten families directly affected by the development of the subdivision.

On the issue of the passageway, Jaicten said the Iloilo City Urban Poor Affairs Office (Icupao) has already identified the area they could use as such. The residents can use the area near the Sto. Niño Subdivision as alternative route other than Princedale, he said.

Meanwhile, Icupao chair Roy Firmeza advised the affected families to bring the matter to the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB).

Firmeza explained that the city government has no authority to intercede on the grievances of the affected families since the selling of the lot and the conversion of the property was done in 1990 yet.

By that time, the function of approving any land conversion or subdivision plan has yet to be devolved to the local government units. It is the HLURB and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) which are the approving authority. It is already involves private properties, Firmeza noted.

He said the affected families particularly those who bought the property can contest it to the HLURB.

The questioned lot was formerly owned by the Abada family. The lot was bought by the IVQ holdings and later made it into a Princedale Subdivision.

In yesterday's dialog, Jaicten sought police assistance to avoid bloodshed during the closure of the property.