City Hall exec clarifies ‘outdated’ zoning plans

By: Emme Rose Santiagudo

ILOILO CITY Planning and Development Coordinator Jose Roni “Butz” Peñalosa replied to the recent rants of Mayor Jerry Treñas, particularly on the purported failure of his office to update zoning plans of some areas in the city.

According to Peñalosa, the mayor was referring to the 10-year Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) of the city.

“Ang aton Comprehensive Land Use Plan nga gina-refer ni mayor needs updating because it is a 10-year plan. Gin-ubra ina sang 2011 gani ang tawag ta sa plano ina 2011-2020 land use plan,” he said in a phone interview on Tuesday.

Peñalosa said that since the plan has a 10-year effectivity, development in some areas of the city was not anticipated.

“Within that ten-year plan, damo na gid man ang gakalatabo. Kun madumduman naton nag-leap gid in terms of the development ang city, and wala naton ma-anticipate ang mga lugar para sa pagpatindog sang certain establishments sa paghimo naton sang plano,” he said.

He cited the Coastal Road area in La Paz and Jarodistricts which were specifically mentioned by Treñas after the flag-raising rite on Monday.

“Ang situation along sa coastal road sang 2010 amo na nga, it was empty and siguro because sa pag-intensify sang activity sang Dumangas Port and Loboc Port, nakita siguro sang mga investors, land owners, businessmen ang opportunity para sa shipping-related nga mga negosyo that’s why nag-sulod ang mga warehousing and dira nagtuhaw ang ideya nga magrenta kag magbakal duta from that stretch, so gani damo nag-apply,” he said.

The city planning officer also denied that the city government failed to reclassify some areas in the metro.

According to Peñalosa, the Sangguniang Panlungsod, which has the sole authority to reclassify properties, has been doing its work in the past years.

“Only the SP ang makapatigayon sang reclassification. It’s also wrong or not correct nga wala gid kita nag-reclassify during those years because ang akon opisina regularly nakabaton sang mga reclassification nga ginahimo sang sanggunian,” he added.

Treñas mentioned Peñalosa and the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) during the regular flag ceremony on Monday. He ranted at Peñalosa for the lack of updates in the zoning plans of the city, particularly in Brgy. San Isidro in La Paz district to Brgy. Bituon in Jaro district.

“Butz (Peñalosa), ang zoning, ginapangamatyan kamo da, nga ginapabudlayan niyo ang tawo, nga residential lang gid da nga pangimatyan niyo gid. Asta san-o niyo na panginmatyan, indi ako magtugot nga pabudlayan niyo ang mga pumuluyo diri sa siyudad sang Iloilo,” the mayor stressed.

Aside from the CPDO, the City Engineering Office (CEO), City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), and Local Civil Registrar also received backlash from the mayor because of alleged malpractices.

Peñalosa said the mayor has already convened the Iloilo City Zoning Review Committee to review areas in the metro that need reclassification.

“Sang Lunes ginsapol ni mayor ang Review Committee, may nakasugtan na nga mga remedies. One of this is i-reclassify ta once and for all ang trend sang mga development along the coastal road,” he said.

He added that Treñas also reconstituted the Zoning Board and mulls the separation of the Office of the Zoning Administrator from the City Planning and Development Office.

“Mas mayo ang office sang zoning administrator separate from the city planning kag nalipay kita kahapon the mayor agreed with that concept and he will get somebody nga amo na mahead,” he said.

Meanwhile, Treñas said he already ordered the CPDO to create a new flow in the processing of locational clearance for building and business permits.

The mayor added that he already instructed City Zoning Administrator Architect Dolly Anne Zoluaga to institute a more organized zoning and planning process.