BIZ LEADERS SUPPORT MANDAUE CITY'S CLUP
Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Glenn Anthony Soco said he supports the City Government’s review of business permits in lieu of the successful implementation of the zoning ordinance. On Feb. 15, the Mandaue City Council, in a resolution, sought a six-month moratorium on the implementation of Ordinance 14-2016-1119, or the City’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP). The moratorium covers all business entities or establishments operating truck services, logistics and container yards that are located in Barangays Tipolo and Subangdaku.
Business leaders in Mandaue City have thrown their support to the local government’s zoning ordinance amid the recently issued six-month rezoning moratorium.
Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Glenn Anthony Soco said he supports the City Government’s review of business permits in lieu of the successful implementation of the zoning ordinance.
“It’s a good move on the part of the LGU. Six months should be enough for establishments to adjust to the rezoning,” Soco said in a phone interview yesterday.
On Feb. 15, the Mandaue City Council, in a resolution, sought a six-month moratorium on the implementation of Ordinance No. 14-2016-1119 or the City’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP).
The moratorium covers all business entities or establishments operating truck services, logistics and container yards that are located on Barangays Tipolo and Subangdaku, which are classified as Mandaue City’s Special Economic Administrative Zone as stated in the CLUP.
In addition, businesses whose operations do not conform to the zoning and classification stan- dards identified in the CLUP are covered in the moratorium.
Philip Tan, MCCI past president, shared that his machine shop business in Barangay Tipolo, even if not situated along the main thoroughfare, might be affected. Tipolo, he said, is classified under the CLUP as a commercial/residential zone, according to the businessman.
Tan, who also functions as the private sector representative to the City’s zoning board, said that while a number of business establishments will be affected and the six-month timetable is not enough to prepare businesses, he encouraged them to comply with the zoning ordinance.
“The City Hall has all the right to implement the zoning ordinance. As people in business, we just have to obey the law,” he said. In addition, Tan acknowledged that business establishments that are located or operating in areas that do not adhere to the zoning ordinance were given only “variance permits” or temporary permits to operate in the given areas.
Anytime, he said, the City Government can order them to transfer to a location that adheres to the zoning classification, or else face the risk of closure.
For instance, the City Government has held in abeyance the business permits of 50 cargo and logistic companies in the North Reclamation Area (NRA), designated as a commercial area, for failing to comply with the CLUP.
Donato Busa, also a past president of MCCI, in a separate interview, expressed support for the city’s rezoning.
Although a number of business entities and establishments will have to be relocated, Busa and Tan separately noted, referring to previous consultations, that the City will provide special considerations to establishments that have long been in Mandaue even before the implementation of the CLUP.
AD Gothong Manufacturing Corp. in Barangay Subangdaku, which manufactures cooking oil, and Cenapro Chemical Corp. in Jagobiao are examples.
Data from the Mandaue City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) show that 47 percent of the City’s total land area does not conform to the 1979 zoning plan. In addition, 20 percent of the city’s total land area are idle lots.
For his part, Soco advised existing and future investors in Mandaue to regularly review their business plans to make sure these will fit the laws of the City to avoid problems in the future.